Ok, here's the new chapter. Again, it's still kinda short, but bear with me. I can't do much between school and writers block and such, but it will be updated, don't worry. Can't tell you when, but it will be updated.

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The standoff had begun.

By this time a small crowd had gathered around the two conflicting forces. Whispers and murmurs rippled through them as they gawked. The two in question, however, stood stock-still. The fact that there was a crowd, a group of people they knew but didn't know knew them, didn't faze them in the very least. They just stood on the opposite street corners, in a contest with no winner.

It was a lucky thing, then, that they still had a good hour until class began.

They each had their own reasons for being so apprehensive. Dib, on one hand, had been assaulted by an alien, his sister, and a robot in the course of a little over three hours. Now, his sister's abuse he was used to, and GIR could easily be forgiven for his antics, considering he treated everything that moved in the same way. Zim, however… Zim was different. The entire situation surrounding Zim was different. He had taken something that couldn't be replaced. But thing was… Dib didn't mind. Yes, looking back on it, it wasn't exactly the beautiful, funny, smart, and lovely girl he had always dreamed of that had kissed him… but then again, Dib hadn't thought of her since he and Zim made up that truce. Actually, looking back on it, he may have actually felt something. What that something was, he didn't know… but he was reluctant and all to willing to feel it again. And so he stayed put.

Zim was a separate case entirely. All he was focused on was the Dib. Every breath, every shift in position, they could be clues to that power he held deep inside. It was almost as if those shoe-aliens had actually been real, and had actually made Dib an all powerful being capable of destroying the great Zim. But that was impossible, so that must mean Dib has a power that not even he knows exits. But wouldn't that be impossible too? Arg, too confusing, this human logic. All Zim knew was that he wanted what Dib gave him one night prior, and if that meant pinning down that meat sack and forcing all those noises out of him and feeling that twisty-turny feeling in his Squeedly-Spooch again, then so be it.

The time had dwindled down to a little less than fifteen minutes, and still neither one of them had moved. The gathering had since grown to a considerably large number, even including a few teachers and other staff. The murmurs had gotten louder, reaching actual talking and even a few taunts and jeers scattered here and there. They fell on deaf ears, however, and soon stopped completely. The whole crowd had shut their mouths and proceeded to stare intently.

Dib had shifted forward a step.

Zim had recoiled aver so slightly, clenching the coat tightly around his body, just as a child would clutch a treasured toy to keep it from harm.

Dib looked down, the glare finally coming off his lenses as he let out a puff of air he failed to realize he had kept inside.

Zim leaned forward, trying to gauge the humans' expression, still clinging to the coat with all his might.

Dib lifted his head once more and took a deep breath.

Zim recoiled, cocking a brow.

Dib stepped forward, again, and again, and again, slowly but surly making his was across the street. The crowd had grown big enough to spill into the pavement, cutting off the traffic. Not that is was a big deal anyway. The drivers had exited their cars and joined the huge gathering. The two in question, however, remained perfectly oblivious.

Dib had now made it to the center of the crosswalk, where he stopped and took another deep breath. Was he really going to cross the street? What was he going to do when he got there? Why was Zim wearing his friggen coat? These and around fifty billon more questions buzzed around his head. It was beginning to hurt again, but Dib just shook his head and started walking again.

Zim watched intently, joined by hundreds of faceless observers that he knew nothing about. The invader could only watch as the human progressed forward, then stopped. Could the power be overwhelming him, ready to burst out and overtake his superior Irken form? Zim recoiled, clutching the coat's coarse fabric. Perhaps he was drained; perhaps it was the coat that gave him power. Was the Dib wearing it when that feeling came over Zim? Though he tried hard, the diminutive Irken couldn't seem to recall anything but that intense feeling.

Well, it didn't matter because Zim had the coat and Dib didn't.

So ha.

The crowd could only watch as the two stood face to face. They remained unmoving, just staring at each other.

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The end.

Ha, just kidding. Not the end. I do have an idea on where this is going, but I don't know when I'll have the chance to type it all up. Thanks so much to my reviewers for sticking with me and encouraging me to continue. See you soon!