Dlbn: Hello, everyone, and welcome to another update!
Nbld: Hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving and didn't get trampled for Black Friday. Let's start with the Review Corner! Thank you to Zim'sMostLoyalServant and Invader Johnny for reviewing! Cake for you both!
Zim'sMostLoyalServant: I know it's slow going, but its almost there. The major blow up is coming.
Invader Johnny: Only way to beat Torque is to out think him. Not very hard, really.
Disclaimer: I own the OCs but nothing canon. That all belongs to Jhonen Vasquez. I make NO money off writing this.
Dedication: It's my birthday! Ironically, I'm 28 today and this is chapter 28. Ha. Happy birthday to my birthday buddies Brittney, Heather, and Joe!
000
Zim, Lahna, and Sila went over to Ense and Rya's place to meet up with them and Chase for a family dinner later that night. It was more of a family meeting, but Zim wasn't going to complain. They had a lot of lost time to make up for. Of everyone in his family, he was always closest to Lahna and Ense growing up, even though his grandmother was tied for first place with them. Not being able to see either of them so long crushed him, but he'd maintained a brave face to hide it. Now that they were all together again, he was reminded of how much they'd missed about one another. Their backstories of how they ended up on Earth were signs of that enough.
"I can't believe they used Jell-O." Rya laughed. "Sounds like something I would have done in first grade, not high school."
"They're not the brightest people." Zim twirled his fork in his pasta as he spoke. "What's next? A squirt gun?"
"I hope not" Chase stated. "Water burns."
"Glue helps."
"What?"
"What?"
"You're weird." Lahna stated. "But if you have some anti-water thing going on, you need to let us in on it. It's supposed to rain Thursday."
"Yeah, I'll get right on it." Zim shoved food into his mouth.
"He doesn't give a shit." Sila stated.
"We know." Ense nodded.
"You know, something's been bugging me about all this." Chase stated.
"What?"
"Well, for one, they have Caleb and Shraela. Those two can destroy your life here in seconds…and they choose to encourage a Jell-O prank? Those kids must know none of you like each other. I heard about homeroom."
Zim flushed. "Maybe they want to lay low until their big finale or some shit. I don't know how Caleb thinks, and I know even less how his girl thinks."
"Thank god." Sila stated. "If you thought like either of them, I'd put you out of your misery myself."
"Good to know I can always count on you to kill me when I lose it, Sila."
"You know it."
"And another thing. Zayena showed up at your house to tell you about this…how does she know where you live? Dib probably told her, so this could have been a set up."
"She has my address."
"And no locator system." Chase stated. "Ense knows where you live because he's brought you home. I know where you live because he's told me, and I live closer. But Zayena? Someone had to give her directions, right?"
"There's such a thing here as Google." Zim stated. "She could have looked up directions."
"And they know she was with you before. Why haven't Caleb and Shraela blown up her spot and ratted her out as a possible informant to you? I don't know, it just doesn't add up, Zim. I'd watch your back."
"Quit it." Sila commanded. "She seems to be genuinely into him."
"And Dib was genuinely his friend and look what happened."
"He has a point." Ense stated.
"I'm aware. But sex is a powerful tool." Sila winked.
Zim rolled his eyes. "My sex life is no one's business."
"But it spread around Seoul like wildfire. Zaynea's not even a Seoulian and she knew." Ense stated.
"She's not?" Rya asked.
"No, she's a Zexonian." Zim stated.
"And you met how?"
"She was at a bar when we were younger." Zim stated. "Sila chased away my date so I went back to find the babe flirting with me at the bar."
"Your date?" Sila rolled her eyes. "You were planning on banging her and tossing her to the side like every other broad. She just wanted to use you to piss off daddy."
"Like pretty much every other broad that's not Riot or Zayena."
"Lahna, you're being pretty quiet." Ense stated. "What's your take on all this?"
"I want to believe she does like him." Lahna informed. "But I have to side with Chase here. Looks can be deceiving. If we're wrong in the end, we're wrong. But if we're right and we didn't prepare for it, there's going to be one hell of a storm coming up when we least expect it."
"Thank you." Chase told her.
"It's not because I want to agree." Lahna stated. "There's so much that can be used against her to get her to turn on you. Caleb and Shraela know you were together, they're probably convinced you're still hooking up, even if they don't have proof. Zayena is self-sacrificing. She'll do whatever it takes to keep what she's got and save face. Who knows what they could trick her into doing or saying in exchange for not telling Torque's crew and driving her out? And she's got more ammo on you because she knows you better than anyone in that group does. She could tell them any one minor detail that you didn't want them to know, and suddenly you're up a creek without a paddle." Lahna sighed. "I like Zayena, and I know you do, too, but to ignore the possibility would be ignorant here. Sometimes the things we least expect to happen are what happens. I mean, look at us. None of us expected to be on another planet, hiding from our own government at any point in our lives. You guys are adults, you can make your own way. I'm still a teenager I have to start from scratch. I'm living in my brother's spare room because I'm too afraid to stay by myself after what happened in lockup." She wrapped her arm around herself. "Our lives were ruined when we least expected it, and Caleb and Shraela are creatures of habit and creatures of convenience. They'll hop onto any bandwagon, any plan to do you in. Who knows what they could have Zayena do? Spreading rumors are one thing, but what if they go so far as to accuse you of…you know…? We all know you never would but there would still be an investigation, still be charges. And there goes any chance you had at turning your life around. Whether we like it or not, this is war. And all's fair in love and war. Especially where Riot and Covert are involved. I don't know about you, but I don't put anything past Caleb and his girl. They may not have come up with anything drastic now, but once they get more comfortable and more established with their group, they just might. You've been out of the scene for a while, Junior. Are you ready to handle the worst possible scenario when it comes? And we all know it will. We just don't know when."
No one spoke for a few minutes.
"No wonder you've been so silent." Ense stated. "Insightful, sis…
Lahna shrugged. "I'm smart sometimes, you know. Just because I'm a teenage Seoulian, it doesn't mean I'm a total moron."
"No one said that." Chase shook his head.
"I don't know if I'll be ready." Zim finally spoke, setting down the glass he'd been drinking out of while Ense reacted to their sister. "I haven't been part of the scene in a while, yes, but I was part of it for such a long while that it's still second nature to me. And if it's Caleb that pulls some shit, that's fine. I can kick his ass all the way back to Seoul. But if it's Torque, I can't do shit, and I don't know if I'll be able to control myself once shit starts going down. If he hits me, I'll take a few punches, but I'm not going to be a punching bag." Zim shook his head. "I can only hope it's Caleb that challenges me first, so I can get it out of my system. You have no idea how much I wanted to punch him in the face the moment I realized who he was."
"About as much as I did." Sila commented. "You're not the only one here with a grudge, Jun. I can handle Shraela if need be, but she won't get herself involved; she's too smart for that. But she's not going to stop anyone else if they get involved, either."
"Sometimes even the smartest people do the stupidest shit." Rya commented.
"The motto of Seoul."
"I thought the motto was 'stop giving us your trash. We're already full of it as it is'." Chase commented.
"The actual motto is where dreams come true." Ense stated.
"For real?" Lahna asked.
"It's on the statue in central park. How did you never see that?"
"I don't read statues for fun, Ense."
Laughter filled the room, taking away the tension and doom from before. Zim couldn't help but feel something picking at the back of his mind. His sister and his cousin had a point. He just hoped with everything within him that they were wrong.
000
They were quiet for three days. For three days, Torque didn't try and goad Zim into a fight. For three days, Dib and Dee kept their distance and their cocky attitudes to themselves. For three days, Zim and his friends had free reign of both the school and their lives. Then the fourth day came, and three people reported their lockers being vandalized within the time span it took for the homeroom bell to ring and second period to end. Zim exited his History class with Sila and heard something that sounded like a miniature explosion. He knew what that meant. One more of his friends had been a victim of a prank by Torque's clique. With a sigh, he made his way towards the sound. He was more than a little annoyed when he realized it was his sister's locker that was now covered in Jell-O from the inside out. His first thought was to check on her. His second thought was to find whoever did it and beat the living shit out of them. He decided to focus on the first and joined her at her locker.
"You okay?" He wondered.
She blinked up at him, green Jell-O staining her skin around her eye. "Huh? Yeah, it's just Jell-O." She wiped it off. "I mean, I anticipated some kind of bullshit, so I stayed out of the blast zone as much as I could."
"Good." Zim nodded.
"Another one?" Ense wondered, parting the students like the red sea. "You okay, Lahna?"
"I'm good…"
"I somehow don't think she is." Zim responded.
"I'm going to go to the bathroom…"
Sila turned through the crowd to follow the youngest of the Haven siblings to the bathroom to check on her. Gretchen and Gaz quickly followed suit.
"You alright?" Ense asked Zim. "I recognize that look."
"I'm fine. Just a bit pissed off." Zim groaned. "This is the fourth damn person to get it today."
"And yours hasn't been attacked?"
"Not yet, no." Zim responded. "Using my friends to get to me."
"Sounds suspiciously like Covert nonsense to me." Ense pat Zim on the shoulder, slamming Lahna's locker shut with his other hand as he left.
The other students seemed to be going back to their schedules.
"I swear I had no idea." Zayena informed from his side. "They must have planned this after I left the other day."
"So, they know you'd run to me, then."
"Caleb probably has his suspicions."
"You're right on one thing. He doesn't trust you." Shraela piped up.
She was leaning against lockers opposite of Lahna's, filing her nails.
"So, you guys do think I'm telling him everything?"
"From the fact that he said, 'they know you'd run to me' instead of think, I'm guessing we're right." Shraela snickered. "Don't worry; secret's safe with me. I know how women fall head over heels for Romeo over here."
Zim blushed, looking away.
"But if Caleb or the others catch you, I'll deny I knew anything and throw you so far under the bus you could check its transmission. Xa vi?"
"Yeah, I hear you." Zayena nodded, clamping her mouth shut and leaning next to Shraela.
Zim kept walking, acting as if they hadn't been talking. He spotted Torque making his way down the hallway with Jessica and Morla and resisted the urge to punch the smirk right off the jock's face.
"Who got hit this time, Zim?" He taunted.
"Fuck off." Zim snapped, continuing his way.
"Woah, language." Chase commented.
"Not now."
The elder cousin didn't relent and chased after Zim, gently grabbing his bicep.
"Come on." He ordered. "We'll hide out in Ense's office."
"I'm hitting the gym."
"What class are you in third?"
"Study hall. They won't miss me."
"I'll tell them you're helping me."
"Whatever; I don't care."
"Who got hit?"
"My sister."
"Fuck."
"Language."
Chase rolled his eyes. "Ense should be there. Does he have a class?"
"Fuck if I know. I know he does fourth, though."
"Alright."
Chase stopped and let Zim continue down the hallway on his own, hoping to whatever existed out there in the form of a god or god-like creature that no one managed to piss him off before he got to his brother's territory. Zim continued, trying his best to ignore Caleb when he walked past him.
"Heard another pop." Caleb stated. "You and your friends should be careful."
Zim stopped, standing alone in the almost empty hallways. "This has your name written all over it, Covert." He stated.
Caleb stopped, a few feet away from the older Irken.
"Looking for a scapegoat, eh?" He snorted. "Typical Riot."
"No one else would use my friends to get to me." Zim stated. "If you're gonna lead the morons, try not acting like one yourself, hm? Change your M.O."
Caleb snorted, turning about the same time that Zim did. "What now? You're pissed off, and I'm the only target that you can hit without feeling bad?" He asked. "You're predictable."
"All these years away from me, Caleb, and suddenly I gotta teach ya how to behave again. Sad." Zim tsked and shook his head. "I was hoping you'd be smarter than to forget what happens when you step to me and run your frigging mouth."
Caleb took a step closer. "This ain't Seoul Junior. You don't run the streets here." He stated. "If you haven't noticed, you and your friends are at the very bottom rung of the food chain. And me? Well, I'm at the top. Isn't it funny how the tables have turned."
"It's funny how I never knew you wanted to be on top of me so badly."
Caleb growled, stepping closer. Zim dropped his backpack, doing the same. He vaguely heard voices around him as they got close enough for their chests to touch and for Caleb to see the fire burning in his eyes. They crossed the line when they went after his sister. Caleb and Shraela knew it as much as Zim and his family did. For some reason, he had a strange feeling that Caleb and the others wanted to goad him into a fight and get him into trouble for once, but he didn't really care. Half of him was preparing to hit Caleb, and the other half was preparing to defend himself from him. There were people stopping in the hallways now, waiting to see what the two gangsters-one gangster and one former gangster. Zim hadn't fully come back to Riot yet. On earth, there was no Riot-and Zim felt the tension rising. He heard Dib's voice far off somewhere, and something that sounded vaguely like Sila. A hand was suddenly on both his and Caleb's shoulders, pushing them apart and holding them at arms' length from one another.
"Enough." Ense spoke sternly, snapping his brother back to reality. "I don't know what you two think you're doing, but no one wants to see this shit. Back up. Now."
"He started it." Caleb muttered.
"What are you? Five?"
"Technically you and your gang of idiots started it." Zim pointed it out, eliciting a growl from Caleb and a 'stop' from Ense.
"Enough. Both of you. Separate or I'm sending both your asses to the Principal's Office."
Caleb snatched up his bag quickly and stalked off, ignoring the elder Haven sibling. Ense gave Zim a look as he picked up his bag and the other students started walking away.
"You mind explaining that shit to me?" Ense wondered. "It's not going to fly. I know how you two fight, and those kids don't need to see it."
"Don't fight Caleb at school." Sila punched his shoulder. "They'll do anything they can to make it look like it's your fault and get you into trouble. Trouble you don't need."
"Where's my sister?"
"That's all you care about, I see." Sila chuckled. "I guess I don't blame you. She's at the Principal's reporting the locker garbage. Some teacher made her go."
"Alright." Zim nodded. "Anyone with her?"
"Gaz is. Her locket got bombed, but she made Iggins open it for her, so he got it."
"That's a Gaz move." Zim nodded. "I need to make use of the gym, bro. You got a class?"
"Yeah, but we're only using the main gym. You can use the weight room if you want. I'll write you a note for your study hall."
"Chase said he'd take care of it."
"Okay then. Come on. Sila, you're in my class."
"I'm aware." Sila bopped him on the shoulder again. "I'll stick with Jun, so Caleb doesn't end up getting his ass handed to him instead."
Ense nodded. "I'll see you there, then. Try not to be late."
They both nodded, watching the eldest sibling leave.
"You got annoyed with the others, but you were out for blood with Lahna." Sila commented. "You might want to be careful or people might get the wrong idea."
Zim shrugged. "Anyone wants to say anything about it, they get my foot up their ass."
"That a boy." She nodded once at him. "I wonder who's next."
"You been hit yet?"
"Not yet. Neither have you. I think Todd is safe now, so are Gretchen and Melvin."
"So just Gaz's locker that got Iggins, Lahna, Keef, and Screamy?"
"Yeah. Gaz was the third person to report it, even though Iggins got it in the face instead." Sila chuckled. "He's gonna end up getting it twice with his own locker."
"I wonder if they're avoiding me on purpose."
"If they manage to get everyone, we're going to end up being last. If this is Covert's doing, they're not going to want to mess with us until the end; if at all."
Zim nodded. "That's what I'm worried about. Come on, let's go to the weight room. I need to hit a bag before I hit a student."
"Sounds like a plan."
