Arco V
Gaz stepped out of the house with one of Dib's spying tools. She waited for Ms. Jackson, which wasn't very long for her family didn't live far away. Finally, a figure came walking up the sidewalk, holding a very small cat-like creature. Sure enough, it was Ms. Jackson and Max, the sandy- colored cat.
"Hi Ms. Jackson, hi Mas. Let's hope they're just having fun and lost track of time," Gaz said as she too brought out a flashlight.
"Oh dear, she usually doesn't do this. I pray that she's all right, "Ms. Jordan Jackson said placing Max down on the concrete next to her. Gaz gazed upon the streets and shook her head. Knowing her brother, they could be anywhere and for a moment she wanted to just turn and go back inside saying hopes lost, but now with Jordan here it wasn't that easy.
"Max, find Dib and Red," Gaz said almost as if the cat was a search dog. The feline cocked it's head to one side and looked at the girl like she was crazy. Gaz sighed and pulled the binoculars into the cat's view and pointed down the road. This seemed to spark the animal's interest as Max perked and stood from his sitting position.
"Find Dib, go," Gaz said again lowering the binoculars by their strap down to the cat. Max inspected them, then took off down the street after the owner of the spying tool.
"There he goes, I guess we follow right," Jordan said not ever knowing her house pet was capable of tracking. Gaz nodded and took off after the feline. It didn't take the gothic girl too long to figure out that they were heading for the skool.
What was her brother doing way over here for? Never in his paranormal career had he'd come to the skool, except once where he was caught. The only other times he was at skool late was for detention, but a punishment till 8:30, that didn't make sense. Gaz rolled a few more thoughts in her mind until she reached a conclusion, bully trouble.
There had been more than a few occasions that she would find him hung up the flagpole, head first in a trash can, or sometimes shoved in a locker or closet. Even though must the time these were harmless, painless pranks there was one time that she could vividly remember.
Dib hadn't walked home with her nor did he come hours later. She thought nothing of it being that he had been doing it quite often chasing after Zim. But for the last couple of days, her brother was behaving more abnormal than usual. He had been coming home with bruises, cuts and scrapes, black-eyes, and other visible signs of injury. Instead of ranting on about his battle scars from protecting Earth and fighting an alien invasion, he would quickly but quietly go straight for his room. Now that her sibling wasn't coming home, period, she decided that she probably had to save him from himself.
Walking outside she noticed it was getting dark and decided to bring a flashlight. "He better hope I don't find him," she had grumbled in her loathing. She walked for quite a ways before reaching skool grounds. What she found there was such a sad, pitiful scene that it made one ashamed to call themselves human. She could see her brother scrambling in a terror-stricken panic on the ground. She could also make out he wasn't alone. There were about eight other kids surrounding him doing an array of different harassments on the pale boy. Some kicked dirt into his face and eyes that were no longer protected by glasses. In fact, his eye ware was broken and thrown to the side along with Dib's spirit. Every time he pleaded for help or begged for them to stop, the children laughed cruelly and pushed him down to the point where every joint in his body, she could tell, must have hurt. The expression on his face read exhaustion, desperation, and pain.
He didn't even have the power to stand. He just laid there, taking a beating. Gaz had never in her life been so furious. She knew she had to do something for the savage kids were growing even more forceful though their victim was already down. She remembered that there was a coach's whistle hanging on the recess fence and quickly retrieved it. She blew the ear piercing instrument and shined the light on the crowd of children.
"What's going on out here? This is the police, who's there?" she yelled in her best impersonation of an officer. Luckily, the children bought it, for even though Gaz was tough eight against one was pushing it.
"Wimp."
"Wuss!"
"Freak."
"Ha, baby."
"Geek!"
"Try it again and your toast."
"Stupid."
"Crazy," was the last insult given as all eight mean-spirited children passed on their way. When it was clear, Gaz walked up to her brother, who had his back to her. When she grew closer, she could see his shoulders shaking slightly, he was crying. Her first reaction was to yell at him for being such an idiot for not telling anyone about this, but her thoughts changed when she realized who would he tell it to. Dad wouldn't have cared, teachers are a joke sometimes, and everyone he ever came in contact with the thought he was crazy.
She helped him up which startled him at first, but being too weak to resist anyway, relaxed in her grip. Leading him home due to the fact he was practically blind without his glasses, she noticed the look of shame and worthlessness in his eyes. He almost seemed sorry that she had to come out and look for him. But once they got home Gaz bandaged him up, even though he insisted she not. With that, she sent him to bed, or more or less helped him to bed. Both of them never spoke of the incident again. Gaz came out of her reminiscence and stooped outside of an alleyway just as Max had done.
"Ninety-eight bottles back up on the wall . . . Ninety-eight bottles back up . . . uh, you take one from there and place up here Ninety-nine bottles back up on the wall," Gaz could hear a tried muffled voice sing. The song was followed by soft, deep breathing which soon became two sounds of breathing.
"Meow," Max cried as he walked down the alley to a turned over garbage can that rested up against one that was upside down. Gaz shined her flashlight on the trash bins but didn't see why Max led her here, even though the noise did seem to come from the alley. Suddenly the little cat disappeared around the second garbage can. They what happened next almost scared her, the can started screaming and moving slightly.
"Ahh, what is that, what is it!" a voice that was unmistakably Dib began shouting.
"What, What?! Where!" Red screamed as well.
"I don't know . . . wait . . . Max?" Dib said with shock and excitement.
"Max? Max! Go get help boy. Go get mom or Gaz. Hurry," Red requested feeling better that at least something knew they were here.
"Too late, I beat you to it," Gaz said coming closer to them, now seeing feet sticking out from under the can.
"Gaz?! Oh thank you, thank yooou!" Dib said happily.
"Stop it. You're making me sick," Gaz said as she walked over and tried removing the garbage can.
"It's stuck . . . ow . . . there's glue in here," Red exclaimed. Gaz quit pulling and sighed.
"Ms. Jackson there over here," Gaz yelled. Like nothing, Jordan came running, she only stopped when she noticed her daughter was in a trash bin.
"What happened?" she asked with mixed emotions.
"We have to take them home like this, they're stuck. Help me stand them up," Gaz directed. Both of them helped lift Dib and Red to their feet, causing Max to fall out of there. The trip home was very cumbersome as Dib and Red kept knocking heads and locking legs causing them to fall with thunderous bangs.
"Oh this is so humiliating," Dib wailed as they tipped over for the fifth time.
"You're embarrassed. We have to walk with a four-legged trash can that keeps yelling and screaming," Gaz groaned. Sometimes she wished her brother was different, all he had to do was quit trying to be a hero, saving the world from all that is paranormal. Dib, on the other hand, wished he was respected for whom he was. He never hurt anyone, at least never on purpose. He loved to search out the paranormal, it was his hobby and pastime, just like others who played sports or read books.
"What exactly happened," Jordan asked. Both started talking not knowing whom Jordan was addressing.
"Whoa, one at a time." Both quieted down a little as Gaz shook her head.
"Avery, It's all her fault, I didn't really know the others," Red stated, anger creeping into her voice.
"I know them, too well," Dib said with no clear emotion.
"They did this to us for no reason at all mom, we didn't even talk to them let alone bother anyone," Red stated with frustration. As they reached a crosswalk Max hissed and arched his back. He seemed to be angry with the trees or clouds above, however when Gaz and Jordan looked up nothing could be seen. Even though it was odd, Gaz didn't give up on the fact that something could be there. Just as this thought passed through her head another jumbled her mind so quickly it was startling, where am I? She looked around and saw Jordan standing next to her with the same confessed expression.
"What am I doing out here so late," Jordan asked scratching her head. Gaz looked around and shrugged.
"Maybe we went for a walk," she said not quite believing that, but not being able to explain it either way.
"Must be, well let's get home then. Wouldn't want to scare the kids," Jordan said. They both walked home leaving a very scared Max behind. The little cat cried out and turned around to see that the trash can was gone along with Dib and Red. Max began to follow the others hesitantly, looking back every once in a while where his owner used to be. When Jordan reached her home, she found it quiet and calm.
"They must already be in bed," she stated, walking to her own bedroom. Gaz reached her house in a slightly different shape. Every light was on and the sound of hurried footsteps echoed through it. Before she could even open the door, it swung open to reveal a very upset Professor covered from head to toe with black soot.
"What happened to you?" she asked flatly.
"What happened to me, I should be asking what happened to you. It's exactly eleven o' clock," he said pulling Gaz inside.
"Eleven?! Really, I don't remember leaving that late, I think I might have gone for a walk or something with Ms. Jackson." Membrane seemed to accept this answer for he didn't press the subject any further.
"I think you should go to bed then, tell your brother to do the same. He's locked in his room, I think," Membrane stated no quiet remembering if he saw his son today or not. Gaz nodded as she walked upstairs not recalling if her brother even came home that night. She yelled at his closed door it was time for bed and then headed for her own room.
Meanwhile, in a very tight and small area, Dib and Red sat back to back no longer covered with the garbage bin or glue. Dib woke up first from their unconscious state and looked around. He felt Red sleeping on his back and rope around his arms and waist.
"Where am I," Dib asked no one in particular.
"Finally one of them's awake, take em' to the boss," a harsh voice said from seemingly nowhere.
"What about the other one," another, smoother voice stated. Dib panicked a little, not knowing where he was or who that was talking.
"Red, wake up. Red!" Dib said loudly as he rocked back and forth. Red grunted and awoke from her sleeping stage.
"What? Where are we?" she asked looking around the small, pink room. Suddenly a side panel opened to reveal to creatures Dib and Red knew well, Irkens. Dib immediately began to struggle to get away which was unlikely due to his tied up position.
"Don't touch me!" Red shouted with contempt as they came to take their prisoners out. She'd been captured by the race before and didn't enjoy it at all. The Irkens, however, were not deterred by the human's actions and grabbed each by their coats while one Irken cut the rope.
"What do you want," Dib spat obviously not remembering who was the prisoner and who was holding the guns.
"You will do good by keeping your mouth shut," one said hitting Dib square in the back with the butt of one weapon. Red winced when Dib fell to the ground and bent down to help him back up.
"Keep it moving." Red got Dib to his feet before they were shoved along into a large room with so many instruments and technology that it looked like a palace ballroom with lights and decorations.
"The humans are awake," one irken guard said aloud from his spot by the door. A blue and purple chair that sat at the head of the enclosure turned slowly around to reveal a human being, but not just anyone.
"AVERY!?" Both Dib and Red yelled in shock, as sure enough, the steely-eyed girl glared back from her seat upon the blue chair.
"Guess again," Avery said as her ingenious disguise faded out to reveal an irken female with blue eyes and curled but bent antennas. Dib's amber eyes narrowed into a glare of anger, annoyance, and loathe.
"Qui," he growled.
~*Here is another chapter and I hope it answered some questions. As for Arco, you'll have to wait till the next chapter. Again I appreciate your patience. Have a great day and enjoy. :-)