Alternate Universes Can Break Your Brain

By Shyro Foxfeather

Part 2

Dedicated to the number of people who threatened to hurt A) me, B) themselves, C) Inanimate objects, or D) stuff I don't want to mention here, if I didn't continue the story. I love you guys!

……

And Beast Boy could almost feel his heart stop…

He had sped forward in the form of a cheetah unthinkingly and shoved her out of the way (AN::Bangs head on table: Stupid, stupid clichés!). Now he lay sprawled atop the girl, swirls in his eyes from the over exposure to light.

Raven groaned from the pain of the big cat—the big unconscious cat—laying over her and the extra weight dug her back into the tiny rocks on the court. "Ow." She muttered coldly as she attempted to push the thing off her. Without warning the thing's eyes opened and it dazedly melted into a skinny green boy. The skinny green guy, Beast Boy.

She glared at him wondering idly if he wanted to be thanked for 'saving her life' or something equally stupid. It was just an exploding tennis ball. The word tennis left a bad taste in her mouth although she had thought it in her head. 'I'll never think of tennis the same way again.' She thought grimly.

The coach blew a loud whistle and demanded everyone leave the courts. Sky ran over worriedly, a pained expression on her face. "Raven! Are you all right?" She called anxiously as she neared.

Before Raven could answer sarcastically the coach ran over and breathlessly asked, "What happened?"

Sky's eyes narrowed. "Brit and Alice put a mini-bomb on the tennis ball!" The two girls in question shivered as the teacher's fierce glare was turned on them.

"Brit! Alice! Meet me in my office! I'd like to have a few words with you." She ordered angrily. The two girls glowered at Raven and Sky as they slowly marched into the building.

Beast Boy cringed as the sun's light pierced his eyes and he sat up wearily. "W-what happened?" He asked.

"Well, I'll tell you once you get the heck off of me." Hissed a familiar voice.

The hair on Beast Boy's neck rose and he turned to see his Raven's frowning face. He leapt up—and regretted doing so as it gave him a major headache—and backed away from Raven as if as if she had the plague.

Raven was given a helpful hand from Sky and dusted off her clothes as the coach frowned. "I'm so sorry." The coach finally said. "Those girls are out of control. And it's bad enough it had to happen to you let alone on your first day here."

Raven sighed and shook her head. "It's not your fault, really. There are mean people in the world. Even I know that."

……

After Raven departed from the tennis court—she was let out early for obvious reasons and hung out in the locker room as she played with the lockers—she quickly changed and waited for the bell to signal a relived departure. And waited. And waited.

The bell rung and with a sigh she loaded up her backpack and made her way to her next class.

Drama.

It was always the class right before lunch that seemed to stretch an extra length of time immeasurable by any clock known to man. 'Luckily' Raven mused, 'It's a decent one.'

She entered the room and noticed that there were already a number of people lounging around waiting for class to start. The strange thing was that behind the rows of desks, and right before a small stage, were three old—yet comfortable-looking—couches. That's where most people were 'lounging'.

Jinx, who had been absorbed in talking to dark longhaired guy with shiny black eyes, turned and waved sporadically. Raven took that as and invitation and walked over. Jinx yanked her arm as she came into reach and Raven was propelled into the strange boy. "My bad." Giggled Jinx.

Raven stepped back a few feet, flustered by having such a first appearance go so wrong. The boy just smiled and outstretched his hand for a friendly handshake. She declined. "Sorry, I don't do handshakes." She muttered coldly though that wasn't entirely true. She really didn't want to get close to this guy—or any—if she could help it. It would almost be a sin doing that and getting them involved with her father.

Raven mentally brushed those thoughts away. 'That's not why I'm here.' She berated herself. She came back to reality to realize that the boy was giving her a slight hurt look and Jinx had a look of confusion on her face. Raven jumped, "I mean I'm sorry. Here." And with that she grabbed his still outstretched hand and shook it. "I'm just um…" She floundered for an excuse. "Shy." And cringed at the one she had just used to describe herself with.

"Well, hello Shy." He said jokingly. "Everyone calls me Aqualad."

Jinx rolled her eyes and placed an arm around Raven bringing her forward. "And this is Raven." She told him. Raven got the vague impression Jinx was the local matchmaker. Goodie.

The teacher walked in and clapped his hands garnering everyone's attentions. Raven noticed that quite a few people had joined them and she recognized Starfire as one of them. The rest were complete strangers.

"Students, quiet!" Hollered the teacher, Ms Midori. She was a stubborn, single woman who seemed to loathe the male population. Except, of course, her students, whom she adored and not in a creepy or wrong way. She was easily one of the most favored teachers in the school. "Has everyone plotted out their skits?" She asked. A chorus of positive answers flooded the room.

The teacher grinned as she looked over the class. Her gaze stuck on Raven and she pulled up her clipboard. "You're Raven Roth, correct?" She asked looking up from her list.

Raven felt nervous as the class all looked at her simultaneously. "Yes." She answered solemnly. Solemn was good. Weakness was not. The teacher grinned and whispered murmurs of excitement swept through the air.

"As you may not know," Began the teacher as she beamed at her, "we celebrate all students. At the beginning of the year we hold a huge party. Since this school rarely acquires new students this'll be the first time we do this but… We're going to have a free period on Raven!" Ms Midori exclaimed. Gleeful cheers rose from other students and a few even thanked Raven. Jinx smiled and wallowed in the attention Raven was getting as slowly the class wound down and people stretched and lay across the couches and occasionally a few desks.

A girl walked over and Raven saw she wore tight black pants and a yellow and black striped shirt. "Hi guys!" She greeted casually.

Jinx and Aqualad, the latter of whom had just walked over, greeted her back like she was an old friend. Which she probably was.

The girl turned to Raven. "You're the new girl, right? I couldn't see over the crowd." She explained. Raven nodded. "Cool! I'm Bee, nice to meet ya."

"Nice to meet you too." She replied. The trio of regulars dragged Raven over to the forest green couch in the corner.

Jinx bounced happily and curled up by the arm. "This is our spot." She explained. "None of the others groups can sit here because we've claimed it." She bounced on the couch to show its worth. "And I've never been so glad we did!" She cheered.

Bee tisked as she, Raven, and Aqualad took a seat in respective order. Aqualad shook his head amusedly. "You threatened to curse them all if they didn't. I'm surprised that one guy didn't wet himself." He turned to Raven and whispered, "Jinx is scary when she's PMS-ing. Believe me." A fluffy white pillow flew at his head and hit dead on.

"I heard that!" Complained Jinx.

Bee took out a notebook and showed it to Raven as Jinx and Aqualad bickered from opposite sides of the couch. "This is our script. We're doing a short play on the importance of brushing your teeth."

"…Why?" Raven asked, eyebrow raised and all.

"Eh heh heh…" Bee chuckled nervously nodding in Aqualad's direction. "He went on strike once to get even with us and refused to brush his teeth for two weeks. Was the grossest thing we've ever seen!" She whispered as to avoid his fishy wrath. "Anyway," She continued at a normal volume, "I think I can wedge you in as the dentist and I'll play the assistant. The dentist doesn't really have any lines so you have no need to memorize to much." She said and Jinx, who was actually listening, snickered at her fleeting panicked look at being given what seemed a major part. "Jinx is the patient-,"

"Why not Aquala-?" Began Raven curiously.

"Candy." Jinx and Bee chorused together solemnly.

"Oh. Explains a lot."

"Doesn't it?" Jinx beamed.

Aqualad, who was now paying attention from his ready to fight stance behind the couch, muttered something along the lines of, "Girls are weird."

Jinx shoved the pillow at him again and a cry of "Hey no-ow!" rang from behind the couch.

'Only these people would say 'ow' when getting hit by pillows.' Raven thought to herself as she began to miss the quiet nose-in-book, body-in-corner existence.

……

Jinx pulled Raven over to a long strip of tables lined against the inner wall of the cafeteria. Why they were eating in there when they could eat somewhere more… peaceful baffled Raven, however, she figured this was Jinx's crowd. Might as well not complain. Much.

A table away Robin, Starfire and Beast Boy sat chattering about their day so far while Cyborg waited in line to get their food as they had all elected him to be today's 'Monkey Boy' despite snickers and pointed looks at Beast Boy.

"And then just as the ball hit her racket-," He exclaimed dramatically. Of course he had Robin's and Starfire's rapt attention if not a tinge of slight doubt, "I rushed in as a kick ass cheetah and pushed her out of the way of the explosion!" He ended making wild hand motions that really made no sense with the story.

A deep chuckle announced Cyborg's arrival and Beast Boy sulked because now he wouldn't get to trick Robin and Starfire into thinking she had thanked him lavishly and called him the most handsome hero on the planet. And he'd even spent all 4th period thinking it up, too!

"So then what?" Asked Starfire as she plucked a fresh slice of pizza from the plate.

"Well-," He was cut off by Cyborg.

"Teach blamed 'the prick sisters' 'cause it was their fault and the new girl left. We think she was sent to the nurse or somethin'. Lucky that bomb didn't hit her. We found pieces of the racket lying all over the court!"

The others gaped. "Yeah. They seem to be getting stronger." Beast Boy added motioning toward a group sitting four rows away.

The 'They' they spoke of was none other than the most popular clique in school. You had to at least beat up ten kids to be qualified to enter. And if you did get in you had to have the powers to stay in the group. They were commonly known as the Preps. They consisted of the leader, Slade, his girlfriend Mane, her best friends, Kitten and Terra, their boyfriends, X and Malchior.

They were envied, they were feared, and they were hated however they were hardly threatened. They had the schools eating out of their hands as their rich parents loomed over the School Board Officials. The only one who wasn't exactly 'rich' was Malchior yet he got in on his jerk attitude, powers, and 'good looks'.

Robin and Cyborg grimaced. "I know." Exclaimed their unofficial leader. Last week they screwed with Speedy's bow and arrows and when he went to defend himself in that fight-,"

"We know." Cyborg stated grimly. "We were there. We saw everything."

"And yet they had the NERVE to blame Speedy and totally ignored the fact that the Preps even did anything!" Beast Boy growled viciously.

Starfire quietly spoke up and broke up the uncomfortable silence. "We should eat and do no more of the 'mean talking'. I think I have learned a saying that describes it and that would be 'Bad moods ruin good food'." She said looking for Robin in approval of her speech.

He nodded. "Starfire's right. Let's eat now and worry about them later. No need to get upset, right?" With murmurs of approval they began to dig in.

However, Beast Boy's gaze was caught the moment he caught sight of Raven sitting a few tables away. His gaze flickered from her quiet demeanor to the guy walking down the row and straight for her, a determined look in his pale blue eyes. Beast Boy sprang from his seat, startling the others.

'That's the biggest 'player' in school! That's Malchior!' Beast Boy's shocked mind exclaimed and he ran from the table much to the shock of his friends.

……

A light tap on her shoulder made her look up, not catching the panicked and outraged looks the people around her gave the person. A teenage boy with long blonde-white hair and crystal blue eyes stared down at her. "Hello." He said charmingly. "You're new?" He asked.

Confused, Raven nodded. "Yeah."

"I am Malchior, at your service. What is you name?" He asked with all the sincerity her possibly could.

Raven felt uncomfortable. A sense in her told her his energy was off, it was volatile. She coldly answered him with a mere, "None of you business." Before turning away from him.

A sharp-clawed hand grabbed her shoulder but released it when a—yet again—familiar voice rang out. "Leave her alone!"

Beast Boy stood there disgruntled looking. Robin and the others ran to catch up to him as the Preps, who now noticed the commotion, rushed over as well. Jinx's eyes widened and she dragged Raven away as students began filing back to watch or just plain out of the building. They'd almost made it when a with a gust of wind Malchior snatched Raven up and back to the brawl.

Jinx, panicking, stopped the leaving Mammoth. "Mammoth! You have to help!" She yelled over the noise. He caught her meaning but by that time the current of fleeing peers was too strong and they'd have to get back in once everyone was out.

Slade glared menacingly at Robin, his two color—if very odd—mask covering his face. Slade smirked as Malchior brought a struggling Raven back to the match. A crisp black circle of energy held her arms to her side and she kicked violently until her legs were restrained as well. Un able to use her powers against the dark magic she glared evilly at him.

Terra sneered at her boyfriend's attention with the other girl. "Asshole." She spat under her breath as she stood next to Kitten and X.

Beast Boy stared anxiously at Malchior. "Is this your new pet?" The seemingly nice guy asked cruelly, his eyes slitting as the wavered and became a deadly shade of red.

"No!" Beast Boy growled.

Malchior glared at Beast Boy. Then slowly turned to face the bound girl. "You liars." He whispered to them although he knew they were telling the truth.

Before any more could be said a shrill whistle rang through the room and the remaining bystanders fled, not wanting to get in trouble.

A young man with ebony hair and narrowed eyes walked forward. "What is the meaning of this?" He demanded. The ring around Raven disappeared and she fell to the floor with a thump. "Fighting in my school shall not and will not be tolerated!"

All of the Preps bowed their heads except Slade and muttered quick—and obviously false—apologies.

He glared one last time before waving them off. "You're dismissed." That left only him, Raven, Beast Boy, and his friends. Jinx had yet to come back.

Raven gaped openly. "Sir!" She began and the others gawked. "They were trying to beat me up! They caused the trouble, we were just defending ourselves!" She exclaimed heatedly.

"So then these students here-," He said waving a hand at Robin and the others, "will have you to blame for their months worth of detention now won't they?"

…To Be Continued…

Disclaimer: Don't look now; the kiwis will eat your soul with their cheese plushies of doom! Beware the shoelace! Despite what information the rabid frogs may have informed you with, I do not own Teen Titans, which means we will be busy trying to take over the company running it and unclogging our chimney.

:Flounders for an excuse as to why Raven's getting into so much trouble: Um..um… School sucks?

Heh. It's a little hard writing Robin and the group. I'm so tempted to call them Titans. Meh.

First chapter was more popular than I thought it'd be and seeing as you guys have such… detailed threats I decided to update for my safety and yours. Meh…again.

In other news, my cactus is blooming! Anyone else got a cactus? C'mon raise your hands people!

:Crickets chirps: …Anyone else got a pest problem::Stares at crickets:

Also, I am taking a vote since I'm in debate about this. Should I add review responses? I mean sure, it's awesome to see your name in someone else's fic and how they responded to your review but seriously, it takes up so much room! I got through three quarters of a fic I was reading once and then was disappointed to see the length cut short by the responses. So here's the vote:

Yes on review response?

No on review responses?

Or a peaceful neutral where I answer only ones that stand out a lot?

Thanks!