Chapter Three: Que Sera, Sera

A/N: Whenever I mention Veronica and/or the Shredder, I'm referring to the soul residing inside that body, EXCEPT for dialogue used by characters who don't know about the switch.

The Shredder went downstairs and found the girl's mother cooking some bacon.

"Oh, hey sweetie. How are you feeling?" Carol asked.

Act normal. The Shredder thought. "Fine. My arm's a little sore though."

"I'll bet. Why don't you eat your bacon, while I cut you up some pineapple, ok?"

The Shredder nodded before sitting down with his bacon.

"Sweetheart, I know it's hard, but you're allowed to talk about what happened last night, if you want," Carol said while cutting the pineapple.

The Shredder was not a person who did "feelings." That was another thing he got from his parents.

"Thanks, Mom, but I'll be fine."

"Ok," Carol said with a bit of defeat. "Oh!" she said while she dropped the knife on the counter. "I forgot the syrup."

Carol left the knife on the counter as she went to check the fridge. Perfect. The Shredder thought. That woman was starting to get on his nerves anyway.

He quickly but quietly got up and grabbed the knife. He lifted it high to stab her in the back.

That was until he heard another pair of footsteps.

He quickly put the knife back where it was without Carol noticing. The father then entered the room in a police uniform.

Oh, how the Shredder hated the police.

"Hey honey, how are you?" Charlie asked his daughter.

"Fine."

Charlie took that as a sign that she didn't want to talk about it.

"Listen, your mom and I have talked, and we think that it's best if you don't go to school for a while."

School?

And then a lightbulb turned on inside the Shredder's head.

Veronica walked outside of the horrendous slaughterhouse the Shredder lived in, only to realize that she was in the old mill.

AKA the mill that's in the middle of a crop field and away from everything else.

So once Veronica got into town, she was pretty tired and desperate for any help.

However, that be would be hard to get once people saw her and ran away screaming.

"I'M NOT THE SHREDDER!" Veronica shouted at one point.

"Quentin Shermer is the Sherwood Shredder," an unfamiliar voice said from behind.

Veronica turned around. "Tha-" she stopped once realized that there was a news report playing on multiple TV's behind her, as part of a store display.

They also had a picture of the Shredder's face, which happened to be Veronica's at the moment.

"Really?!" She said.

Then, the speakers outside started to play "Que Sera, Sera."

"Oh, come on!"

In the end, the Shredder was able to convince the girl's parents to take him to school.

You know, so that he can see all of his "friends."

Everybody was looking at him as he walked into the school, quietly whispering amongst themselves.

"Veronica, what are you doing here?" Betty asked.

"Yeah, you should be at home," Martha added on.

"I wanted to see my friends," the Shredder said.

"Aww," Betty and Martha said to each other, before getting back to business.

"But seriously, what were you thinking?" Betty asked.

Before he could answer, Heather Chandler approached him, cellphone in hand.

"Why if it isn't the Shredder's latest victim? Selfie!" She said as she took a photo of her and the Shredder.

She captioned it with something like "1 like=1 prayer for Veronica" before posting it on Instagram.

"Hey, I know that we haven't gotten along in the past, but if you ever need anyone to talk, I'm here," Heather said.

The Shredder knew what then and there that he would be killing this Regina George wannabe first.

"Actually, do you know if there's somewhere," the Shredder said, looking at his surroundings, "private where we can talk?"

Betty, Martha, and Heather were all slightly taken aback.

"Why, of course," Heather said grabbing the Shredder's hand. "Come on, I'll show you the perfect spot," she said, leading him to another room.

"Something's wrong with Veronica," Betty and Martha said at the same time.

"Here it is, the girl's locker room," Heather said, proudly showing the Shredder. "This place is totally safe for private conversations."

The Shredder approached a cryotherapy tank. "What's this?" He asked, playing dumb.

"Oh that," Heather said while walking over to it, "is the girl's cryotherapy tank. Gowan doesn't mess around with his sports sponsors."

"Can you show me how it works?" The Shredder asked. "After all, it might help my shoulder," he added, feigning sadness.

"Oh of course!" Heather said. "You just set the thermometer to the temperature you want. Then, you just unlock this," she said, showing the code to the Shredder, "and then you step in for some relaxation."

The Shredder instantly pushed Heather in and locked the door. He then set the temperature to the -100 degrees Celsius.

"VERONICA! VERONICA!" Heather yelled as the Shredder walked away.

By the time somebody found her, it was too late.

"Due to the continued attacks on our students, Sheriff Sawyer, the school board, and I have decided to indefinitely postpone tonight's homecoming dance," Principal Gowan said over the intercom.

Confused murmurs went all throughout the school. "A city-wide curfew is also in effect, starting at 8:00pm, as the police continue their search for the Sherwood Shredder. Stay safe, Razorbacks," Principal Gowan said before signing off.

The Shredder had just gotten to Veronica's woodshop class when the announcement was made. Perfect. He thought. I'm making them squirm.

Class began shortly after that. JD sat down next to him.

"Hey, how are you holding up?"

Just play along. "Just trying to get back to normal, ya know?"

"Ms. Sawyer, I'm sick and tired of your constant need for attention. If you spent a little less time flirting, and more time learning, you might actually make something of yourself," Mr. Ripper said.

"Hey, you're the one that needs to learn! She lost her brother and got stabbed by the Shredder last night!" JD yelled as he shot out of his seat.

"Sit back down, Mr. Dean!"

This Dean kid seemed ok to the Shredder. Maybe he would be one of the few teenagers spared this unholy massacre.

But looking across the room, the Shredder knew he found his next target.

"Do you think she's coming?" Martha asked Betty during lunch, in their usual hangout spot on the theatre stage.

"I doubt it. She's been acting weird all day," Betty replied.

"I'm honestly concerned about her."

"Psst, guys, over here," came a manly whisper that was behind a bin of costumes.

Betty and Martha cautiously walked towards the voice.

"Don't freak out, but-"

Betty and Martha screamed once they saw who it was. They instantly ran away, but not before Betty kicked the person in the groin.

"Penis. I have a penis now," Veronica said as she slowly got up to chase her friends.

Betty and Martha ran out into the secret hallway connected to the theater.

"He's coming after us!" Betty yelled to Martha.

"You're nerdy and I'm overweight! We're so dead!" Martha responded.

The two of them entered the school kitchen.

"Somebody help us!" Betty yelled.

The only worker in the room screamed and ran away once she saw the assailant.

"Guys! Guys!" Veronica yelled.

Martha threw a tray of tatter tots at her.

"Really?" Veronica responded.

Betty and Martha grabbed big soup spoons before Veronica grabbed a pan lid, holding it out for self-defense. "Back up! Back up!" She said. "Don't freak out, but it's me, Veronica," she said, hoping that her friends would believe her.

Betty and Martha looked at each other before attacking Veronica. She pushed them away, albeit a bit farther than anticipated.

"Wow, I'm super strong," Veronica said, amazed.

Her friends were tired, so she took this as a sign to talk. "Look, if I were really the Shredder, would I drop my weapon?" She asked, dropping the pan lid.

Betty and Martha still didn't believe her. "Ok, if I weren't Veronica, then how I would know that Betty here used to have a crush on your brother?" She asked, directing that last part towards Martha.

"You had a crush on my brother?" Martha asked Betty.

"Pfft, no," Betty said, obviously blushing.

It's working. Veronica thought. "And how would I know that Martha has been crushing on Ram since he kissed her in kindergarten?"

Betty and Martha looked at each other in astonishment, both silently agreeing to test this "Veronica."

"What's your favorite movie?" Martha asked, as both her and Betty slowly got off the ground.

"I tell everybody it's Titanic, but it's really Mean Girls," Veronica replied.

Correct.

"Favorite TV show?" Betty asked.

"Stranger Things, obviously."

Correct again.

"Favorite snack?" Martha asked.

"Jiffy Pop."

Three times the charm.

"Who's your biggest crush?" Betty asked.

Veronica blushed a little bit before sheepishly replying, "Beanie Deanie."

Betty and Martha squealed in delight.

A/N: Thoughts? Any constructive criticism is welcome!

Thanks to inkyfrosting3217 for beta reading!