A.N Thanks to my two reviewers for... uh, reviewing. I wuv oo both! Even tho I don't really know who you are! Yay for creepiness! kk, Kacer is an unimportant OC of mine. Just ignore her. Joon (and Steg, who is mentioned briefly) are also mine, only they're more important. . . kk. . . and I can't do anything about the spacing. I'm inept. Sorry if that bothers anyone. ;

Chapter 2- The Mundane

"Watch out for that pole," Zim says.

So of course, I crash into it.

"I told you to watch out!"

I rub my forehead, and wince a little, but I decide I can deal with the pain and I start walking again.

But then Zim jumps in front of me and I fall back a little.

"Why did you not listen to Zim!" he demands. putting an emphasis on his name like an idiot.

I scowl and my head starts to pound.

"Because Zim," I growl, "I thought it would be a fun new experience to crash my head into a pole."

He blinks and says,

"Oh, okay," not comprehending the sarcasm, ". . .was it fun?"

"Oh yes," I say, "You should try it sometime."

Then the idiot glances back at the pole as though he's actually considering it.

I could almost laugh at his stupidity, but I just roll my eyes, and then we cross the street to Skool.

Unlike the first few weeks I started coming, Dib isn't walking up to Zim to threaten and/or insult him like he used to.

He scarcely talks to Zim when I'm around. Which is dumb.

If he thinks I'm going to kick his ass for bad-mouthing Zim, then. . .well, he's an idiot.

To be honest, I find it vaguely amusing when those two are at each other's throats.

But I'm never able to witness that anymore, although according to Zim, it still occurs daily.

Dib's near the entrance of Skool, talking to Gaz and his friend Kacer. Okay. . .Gaz just kicked him, Kacer's freaking out to see if he's alright. . .

Even from a distance, Dib's amusing. . .

I guess I'm smirking without realizing it, because Zim just asked,

"What's wrong? Your face looks funny."

I shove him away, but not too hard, and he's so used to it, he doesn't scream or anything. But I see him glare for a second.

We reach the entrance of Skool, and Kacer and I nod, as a greeting of sorts.

Kacer's okay.

A little slow, as are most humans, but not entirely stupid. I overheard her once telling Dib thats he builds her own electronics and all that, so. . .

Dib ignores me. He's rubbing his leg while wincing, and then he suddenly seems very interested in the front steps.

I stop for a moment and stare at him, mainly because I know it'll freak him out, and also my head just started pounding again, only really bad now. As I freeeze, Dib looks up at me, and for a second, our eyes meet.

Then he umps back a little and says, very flustered,

"What? What is it!"

My head starts to pound a little less and I smirk.

"What?" Dib asks, now a little irritated.

He's such a dork.

I shake my head and laugh. From behind, I hear Zim say,

"Foolish Dib!"

and even though he doesn't know what's going on, he laughs too.

So I stop.

"What'll it be, doll face?"

I was not in the mood for idiots and stupid pet names.

Without even looking up to face the voice, I pulled out my pistol, and held it to his face.

"Yikes. You might wanna be careful with that, shorty?"

So not in the mood. . .

"Who the hell are you calling 'shorty'! I snapped, and looked up and then saw the bartender was Irken.

And not just any Irken. . .

". . . Joon. . .?"

"Hey Tak," he said, and he was smiling.

I lowered my pistol.

"You're tall," I said. I couldn't believe it.

"Yeah, I've been tall for awhile now," he muttered, seeming slighty disinterested, and then said, "Where did they go?"

He was pointing to my chest, which appeared flat. Same Joon.

"I had an operation," I said with a straight face, making my voice sound just a little bit deeper.

Joon's eyes bugged out a little and he looked slighty freaked.

"Y-you did?. . . I mean," he said,"you always seemed kinda. . . not feminine, but I never. . . "

"I used breast wrap, idiot."

"Heh. Right. I knew that."

For the first time in a long time, I wanted to laugh, but I didn't.

"Whay are you working on Foodcourtia?" I asked. "Weren't you going to be a mechanical technician?"

Joon shrugged.

"Well, that didn't work out too well," he said, and a moment later, "And what about you? Why aren't you on some alien planet, kicking ass? What happened to your test?"

I blinked and I remembered why I was here.

"There was. . . and interferance," I said, turning to the window,"But I'm going to take care of it."

Joon turned to the window too, then looked to me and I stared back.

"I missed you, kid," he said.

Kid. . . that had been a joke between us once. . .

But I didn't smile. For a moment, I felt like I was choking on my throat.

I gripped my pistol tightly at my side, and got off the bar stool.

Muttered,

"Tell Steg I said 'hi',"

and left.

What was that? I jerk my head up from my desk and realize Dib just tapped me on the head.

"It's recess," he says, "You slept through the whole class."

I blink a few times as he walks away.

Besides Ms. Bitters, I'm the only one in the classroom. I don't feel like moving.

I had been dreaming before. . . but it was. . . well, a memory really. From when?

. . . I think right before the Great Assigning. . . back when I was still searching for Zim. . .

Geez, I haven't thought of any of that for awhile. . . haven't thought of Joon. . .

I look up, and Ms. Bitters is growling at me, foaming at the mouth just a bit, so I take that as a sign that she wants me to leave.

Horrible woman. . .

Joon's words end up echoing in my head for the rest of the day.

Why aren't you on some alien planet, kicking ass?

I wonder what he would think if he saw me now. Wonder how I'd explain to him that now I'm just weak. . . .

NO. I'm not weak, I will not allow myself to be weak.

I decide that right now, and at that moment, I stand up firmly, with my fist raised in determination. . .

Then Minimoose pops out of nowhere, and I fall back in surprise.

Stupid moose squeaks in my face.

"Go away," I hiss threatingly, and Minimoose retreats sadly.

I almost feel sorry for it. . .

Oh, what am I thinking, it's just a moose. . .

I can practically hear Joon's voice, saying,

"Tak, you've gone soft."

Just the thought of it makes me sick.

Zim enters through the kitchen into the living room, muttering something under his breath, but I can't make it out. He doesn't notice me, so I shout,

"Zim!"

and he jumps.

"Whaaat?" he says in a whiny voice.

"Do you have any battle training rooms or anything that I can use?" I ask, even though I wasn't really planning on asking that. But then I stop, and think maybe some extra training's all I need. . .

"Ah, Tak," Zim says with a proud smile, "I have several training rooms, each with a different level of difficulty, each requiring different skills. BUT I MUST WARN YOU-" he takes a dramatic pause, "Even the lowest level may be fatal if you're not skilled on the highest standards! For they were designed by. . . ME! ZIM!"

". . . Whatever," I say, and I go into the kitchen to get a soda.

End of Chapter 2. . .

A.N. part 2

I don't feel like typing the first sentence of chapter 3. . . so. . . it'll involve Dib, Ms. Bitters, training, etc. . .

Please review, it helps me feel special. . .