Okay, I am so sorry for the delay. ._. I have a lot of irl things that need to be taken care of, but I also lost interest in SBT for a while. Luckily, the new season renewed my interest but I'm still struggling with the writing. I hope you guys enjoy this extra long chapter. Sorry if it's not on par with what I usually write- I was going to hold out longer but I know you've all been waiting long, so here it is! Enjoy!
(Just a little note, this story takes place between season 1 and 2. I know I mentioned something about the Kimmy/Octus study ep taking place three days before this, but in light of watching season 2, I've decided to just bump my story up a few days so that the Solomon capture already happened.)
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"Hey guys, we have a new student. Why don't you introduce yourself?" The short teacher waved her hand at Baron and went back to the projector to set up the lesson, not at all interested in any introduction despite her earlier words. In contrast, the entire class quieted down, not accustomed to new students (the Lunis siblings were quite the talk for a few days). Lance, sitting in the back shrouded in his usual shadows of mystery, snorted and crossed his arms, already forming an idea of how Baron would introduce himself.
"Baron Lunis," Baron stated, giving the entire class a stare. Not exactly welcoming but not threatening either. Neutral. He wasn't here to make friends nor enemies. Some eyes, mostly female, snapped to Lance, who resisted the urge to deny all relation.
"Take a seat, Baron," said the teacher, still sifting through her lessons, not even considering the familiar last name. Baron glided easily through the aisles, Lance watching with a critical eye, having expected the lieutenant to go into an egotistic monologue introduction. There were two empty seats in the class, one in the very corner near the window and one in the back center. Baron took the seat near the window, a perfect place to survey the entire class and make a quick escape if needed. Lance was two seats over, a pigtailed blonde girl sitting between them, smacking her gum. She didn't hesitate to lean over when he sat down, lowering his backpack to the floor.
"Hey, are you like related to Lance?" Lance's name rolled off her tongue like some sort of exotic French pastry. Baron tried not to cringe.
"We're cousins," he answered briskly, pulling out a notebook from his bag, playing school like Octus ordered. The blonde smiled at him, red lips against her pale skin. She looked vaguely like Ilana, but her face was too round, mouth too wide, eyes too small, hair too limp.
"Do you two live together?" Baron took a moment to really look at her, searching her expression for some sort of accusation. Why was she so interested? Was she a threat? He didn't recognize her and he highly doubted Modula would send another soldier to Earth. Then again, Modula was full of surprises.
"Yes. My Uncle Modula is letting me study here until he gets back from," he paused briefly, conjuring up an image of a map of Earth. "Canada." He smiled, small white teeth and all. The girl didn't seem to even bat a lash at Modula's name- she was not sent from Galaluna. Not a threat.
"We're just going to watch a movie today, fill out these questions," announced the Algebra teacher, moving down the front of the room, passing out worksheets.
"Wait for me after class, I'll show you around," whispered the blonde, leaning even more forward for some reason. Baron wanted to ask why she kept blinking and tell her her shirt was slipping low, but the movie was starting and he didn't care much anyway.
By the end of the typical monotone educational math film, half the class was sleeping or nearly asleep, except for Baron who had watched attentively. It wasn't that he was so much interested but rather was sizing up the students around him and the teacher, taking mental notes for anything vaguely odd. Which was everything. Earthlings were definitely odd.
He bumped shoulders on the way out of class with Lance, and both paused in front of the classroom door to match glares. From over Lance's shoulder, Baron could make out the blonde girl coming, and took a moment to smirk at Lance before ducking out of the room, on his way to English.
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He made it through half his day relatively uneventful, seeing both Ilana and Octus in other classes. Whereas Ilana was welcoming, and introduced him to the students seated around her (to much of their annoyance), Octus didn't even acknowledge his presence. It was lunch time, so said his schedule. After that, two more classes and he was through with the excruciating day. Lessons were boring, none of it practical. Where were the shooting classes? The extended physical workouts? The politics? Hopefully the mess hall wouldn't be as monotonous and painful as all the other rooms.
It was, surprisingly, quite similar to the mess halls of his youth. The population was divided, everyone sitting with who they belonged, either rowdy and loud or quiet and nondescript. The Galalunian spotted his fellow foreigners at a table near the middle, none of them talking to one another.
"Baron!" Ilana's face immediately brightened when she saw him coming over. She moved over (though it was largely unnecessary given the size of the table) and patted the spot next to her. Across the table, Lance and Octus shared a look before going back to their meals, some sort of mush.
"How was your day?" babbled the princess, looking on eagerly, her lunch long forgotten.
"This place is a cesspool of subspecies," Baron grumbled out, eying her lunch with a wrinkled nose. Lance snorted. Like that wasn't already obvious.
"Aww, don't be like that. Lance is already the moody one in the group." Ilana giggled, seemingly more giddy than he last saw her two classes ago. "Have some of my lunch." She pushed the food toward him, but he declined, shaking his head. Ilana pouted.
"Let me buy you a soda then! It almost tastes like those calhurs on Galaluna." She didn't wait for him to accept, she just grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the seat before sauntering over to the vending machine on the other side of the cafeteria. Lance watched the pair, Ilana snuggling into Baron's arm, ranting on about the many Earth foods that reminded her of Galaluna. He stabbed at his soggy pasta.
:::
He hadn't planned it. He really hadn't. In fact he had his eye on the obligatory Scary Mary party due to be thrown in a week. That was when he planned to finally talk to the blond beauty that he was too shy to even look at from the back of his History class.
But it happened. He finally talked with her.
"I like Sprite, but Lance prefers Coke and Newton really likes Pepsi." That's all he heard, but Jason Friedle knew immediately it was Ilana Lunis, the girl he had been pining over since she first introduced herself in his History class.
"I'm okay with anything, Ilana." That didn't sound like Lance, and Jason let out a breath of relief, fingers sweaty against the soda machine. The blonde's brother always did make him uneasy.
"Uhm, excuse me?" Jason wasn't aware that he had been standing in front of the soda machine for over two minutes, hands on the keypad, still as a tree, waiting to hear Ilana speak again.
He punched in the number for a Dr. Pepper and quickly grabbed it from inside the machine, his arm getting stuck inside and fumbling as he tried to get his drink out. Finally, he managed to yank both his drink and arm out of the machine, stumbling back into the person behind him.
"S-sorry," Jason stuttered, immediately stepping away from Baron who had gotten between the nerdy boy and princess. The soldier glared down at the shorter boy. Jason shuddered. He was worse than Lance.
"It's okay," Ilana giggled, covering her mouth politely. Jason pressed his lips together.
"See you around." He ran away as fast as a fleeing gazelle, nearly tripping over his own two feet (which he didn't, surprisingly). Ilana waved after the strange boy, pretty sure she recognized him from somewhere else, but shrugged it off.
"You don't have to be so protective," said Ilana as she deposited the money and pressed the code for two Sprites. Baron was barely focused on her, eying everyone in the lunchroom with suspicion.
"You can never be too sure who to trust," he mumbled. The irony was not lost on him. Ilana smiled up at him, passing him one of the Sprite cans.
"Relax, Lance and Newton did the whole background check thing months ago," she commented, casually looping her free arm with Baron's once again. He didn't pull away, like Lance and Octus often would. It was a welcome change.
"It's always good to keep an eye out," said Baron, giving her an amused smile, taking her advice and dropping his watch for a moment. If what Ilana said was true, he was the most dangerous person here. A shark in a sea of plankton. That considerably brightened his day.
By the time the pair returned to the table, Kimmy had taken the spot across from Newton where Ilana was originally sitting, and was casting the robot a loving gaze. Newton was returning it (or at least it looked like he was returning it) and Lance looked like a mix between irritated and bored, pushing his pasta around on the styrofoam plate.
"Oh, hi Kimmy," greeted Ilana hesitantly, glancing at Baron who just shrugged.
"Yeah, hey Ilana, and Baron," returned the redhead, waving at the two flippantly before returning to her puke inducing "look into my eyes" moment with Newton. Ilana shrugged and took the seat next to Kimmy, allowing room for Baron to slide up next to her.
"So, how was your day Lance?" asked Ilana, more so for conversation than anything else.
"Some kid in my Bio class threw up. Augh, barf city!" responded Kimmy instead, flipping some hair over her shoulder. Lance just raised an eyebrow.
"He threw up in the hall," he said pointedly, sulking over his lunch. Kimmy rolled her eyes.
"Whatever. It was still nasty. Yuck."
"Why?" pitched in Baron, genuinely interested.
"Dunno. Must have been the pig we were dissecting," shrugged Kimmy, finally opening her salad she bought and taking large bites. She paused, her mouth open, ready to ask something when a group of shadows loomed over their table.
Mike Chan's suspension had finally been lifted.
"Looks like Baby Boy has more friends," announced the criminal, his group of underachievers laughing to themselves. The cafeteria was already starting to grow hush. Anytime Mike Chan walked into the room, it garnered stares. Anytime Mike Chan confronted someone, it got quiet.
The boy glanced around the table, eyes settling on Kimmy. He smirked, placing one hand on the table and leaning closer to her.
"What's your name, sweetheart?" Kimmy cringed at his cigarette breath and shifted away.
"None of your business, eugh," she retorted, crossing her arms. Chan's smirk grew, but he moved away, shoving his hands in his pocket.
"Whatever, Red. What's someone like you doing hanging around Baby Boy and Soccer Mom?" Kimmy furrowed her eyebrows, unsure of what he was even saying.
"He wants to know why you're 'hanging around' Lance and I," elaborated Newton, clinical as he always was. It seemed that he was the only one not at all bothered by Chan's arrival. Upon hearing her boyfriend's explanation, the redhead glared at the young man standing above her, immediately standing up to reach his level (she was still two inches too short, even in her heels).
"Newton is my boyfriend, so you can just back off," she barked, pointing her finger at his chest.
"Yeah!" piped up Ilana, taking the chance to finally throw some sense into Chan's face. "And Lance is a good guy. You just have to make others miserable don't you? What kind of satisfaction comes from hurting others, in fact, what kind of person would do such a thing? What's the point in fighting people, what do you gain other than their pain? You should be—"
"I think he understands," interrupted Lance, standing up himself. For the first time, Chan was actually a welcomed distraction.
"Cute speech, Lil Sis," teased Chan, causing the princess to turn red in embarrassment. "And I guess I judged you too quick Red. Going out with Soccer Mom? Such a shame."
"You come here for another beating?" questioned Lance, moving in front of Kimmy to smirk at Chan. He didn't mind a fight now.
"Your boyfriend going to get in the way?"
"He's not my friend," bit out Lance. "Or boyfriend," he added, getting more irritated. Chan chuckled to himself.
"Or Lil Sis? She's a feisty one." He looked over Lance's shoulder, winking at Ilana. She blushed and scowled, scrunching her fists up. She was a princess, not some-some eye candy!
"Do you want to fight, or chat like a woman?" drawled Baron, still sitting comfortably in his seat, enjoying the Sprite.
"You got something to say Boyfriend?" Surprisingly, it wasn't Chan who said this but one of his friends, a white haired man in a white parka. Baron glanced up at him
"I think," he said, standing up, "That you're all too afraid to fight us. I think you're stalling because you know we will beat you just like we did last time."
"You have a pretty big mouth, Boyfriend," warned Chan.
"And so do you. The difference is I can back up what I say." Chan's earlier playful demeanor disappeared. The cafeteria was dead silent. Then, as if breaking the spell, the bell to signify the end of lunch rang. While the other students in the cafeteria started to slowly file out, reluctantly pulling their gaze from the confrontation, those in said conflict stood still.
"After school. The warehouse down by the boardwalk. We'll see who's scared then, bro." With that, the white dragon turned, his scantily dressed girlfriend latching on to his arm and the rest of his thugs following him out.
"What a poser," snorted Kimmy, rolling her eyes. "As if we'll show up."
"He only expects Lance and Baron," remarked Newton, finally rising from his seat. "Though I agree, there's no point for you two to go."
"Wasn't planning to," mumbled Baron, finishing up his soda. Lance shook his head and turned to face his friends (Baron excluded and Kimmy questionable).
"I'm going." Ilana gaped. Then frowned. Then glared.
"Oh, no no no no no. You're not going. This is ridiculous! You're a sold-" She stopped short, realizing that Kimmy was still with them in the empty cafeteria. "You're my brother. I'm not going to let you get hurt." Lance shook his head.
"If I don't show up, he'll just keep bothering us," elaborated Lance, fists clenching. That wasn't his real reason though. How are you suppose to tell the girl you're protecting that you like fighting? That you like to hurt people?
"Oh, puh-lease," drawled Baron, rolling his eyes. "Don't be such a hero. I'll come with you, you're going to need my help." Lance scowled.
"I'm not trusting you in a fight. Give me a second to be distracted, and you'll stab me in the back."
"I'm only looking out for you, Cousin." Ilana groaned. This was nearly the same as when they were in the living room the first night.
"I would advise neither of you go," interrupted Newton, coming to stand between them, a stern look settling on his face. "We shouldn't be wasting our time with Chan." Lance gave his friend a pleading look.
"You understand though, that if we don't do anything, he'll just keep on us?" Newton frowned slightly. His machine logic couldn't deny that.
"Yes," the robot finally responded.
"Newton!" fumed Kimmy, placing her hands on her hips, giving her boyfriend a disapproving look. "You can't be really supporting this."
"Kimmy," started Newton, nervous under her eyes, "you don't know the whole story. Mike Chan is insistent on hurting Lance. Yesterday he fought him outside the mall." Lance furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. He never told Octus that. Hearing this, Kimmy's eyes widened.
"That was you?" she asked, looking at Lance. "I heard there was a brutal fight outside the mall but..." She nodded in understanding.
"If he's been jumping you like that, then yeah, you should kick his ass!" The aliens gaped at her sudden language and change of opinion. "Don't take that from anyone," she continued, as if talking to herself. "He's asking for a fight, we'll give him one." Lance raised an eyebrow. Since when was this about her?
"You're not going Kimmy," asserted Newton, looking out for his girlfriend's protection. She scowled at him.
"Why, because I'm a girl? Trust me, I've been in my own fights before," she remarked, crossing her arms. Newton chose not to respond in fear of his girlfriend's temper.
"Why are you all supporting this?" exclaimed Ilana. "We shouldn't even be having this discussion. We should be in class!"
"You don't have to worry, no harm will come to you," said Baron, as if that was some comfort. Ilana shook her head. "That's not the point! None of you are going to that fight. I-I won't allow it!" With that, she crossed her arms in finality.
"What are you, our mother?" countered Kimmy, unaware of how much Ilana's say had among her friends. "The world isn't all puppies and rainbows, Ilana. Mike Chan isn't the type of guy to back off. He's been here before you, and I know his methods. If he's been messing with your brother for a while, he won't just stop because you ignore him. I know you're afraid he and your cousin could get hurt, but I'm sure we can all work out a plan." Ilana inwardly groaned. She wasn't afraid for her bodyguards, but rather the attention their brawl would receive and the consequences for their identities, not that she could tell Kimmy any of this lest she reveal their alien status.
"I just don't think it's the best idea," the princess sighed. She looked up at Lance, lips pursed. "Is this really what you want to do?" She glanced at Baron. "Both of you?" Lance nodded surely. Ilana looked to her robotic protector.
"Newton?" The large alien paused for a moment, processing all the possibilities. He nodded once.
"Mike Chan is becoming a nuisance. Dealing with him now would be best." He paused once again. "And I need to look out for Kimmy." The redhead pouted but nonetheless was flattered by her boyfriend's protective nature. Ilana facepalm'd.
"Great. So we're all agreed that after school we're going to get into a fight with a bunch of street thugs?" There were nods all around.
Ilana sighed.
"I hope we get back home in time for me to finish my homework."
:::
How will the fight go? Will Kimmy find out about our friendly neighborhood aliens? Who is the strange white haired man? When will I stop forcing myself to write fight scenes?
Guest appearance by Jason and return of Mike Chan ohohoho. I know you all must hate him but he's such a great plot device. I can only imagine the bore this chapter would be without him. ;D (And to clear up confusion, he was bailed out of jail by his rich parents. Yeah.)
Now I need all your help! I have no idea what more team bonding moments I should have, but I know I want to follow most of second season (of course, the events will probably be way different because of Baron's arrival). Maybe I'll do a flashback chapter, maybe a Baron-focus chapter, idk. What would YOU like to see? I'll take it all into consideration.
And why is SBT getting canceled? Pick up the pace! More fanfics/vids/watevs!
calhurs: (n) some kind of made up Galalunian drink that tastes like soda ;D
"Why didn't Octus lay a smack down on Chan for hittin' on his woman?" Octus doesn't seem to really care for anyone making moves on Kimmy (as seen in the Bloody Mary episode- which didn't happen yet, but it still shows he's not threatened like most guys are).
