Dlbn: Hello everyone, and welcome to another chapter!

Nbld: Review Corner! Thank you to Invader Johnny and Zim'sMostLoyalServant for reviewing! Candy for you both!

Invader Johnny: And not very good ones at that. I don't recall fi I did or not, but its certainly possible. There're various hints lying around that explain pretty much everything.

Zim'sMostLoyalServant: Old rivals who know his every weak point, too. Torque's got some ammo on him. Let's see if he wastes it.

Disclaimer: I own the OCs that you should recognize as being such. Anyone canon belongs to Jhonen C Vasquez. I make NO money off this.

000

Torque and his crew left Zim and his friends alone for the rest of the day. He was convinced Caleb and Shraela were helping them plan something, since they knew better than anyone how to annoy him and ruin his life, but he couldn't be sure unless someone told him; likely Zayena. Gaz showed up at Zim's about an hour and a half after school let out, claiming Dib's friends had taken up residence, including Zayena, Caleb, and Shraela.

"Zayena seems comfortable around them, but it could be a ruse." Gaz informed as she beat up villains in her game. "I mean, after all, she plays the social anxiety card really well, if what you two have said about her is still true."

"I can guarantee you with almost one hundred percent certainty that she's faking it." Zim stated. "When they're not around, her confidence is through the roof and she's as cocky as I am."

"I don't know if that's a compliment or an insult." Sila informed as her GTA character shot someone.

"Both." Zim used his bat to smash some guy's head in.

"Then I'm not sure it her level of comfort around Caleb is real or not, but I'm guessing it's not. He's civil with her, so they're probably both faking it."

"Which scares me." Lahna stated. "Caleb and Shraela are one issue of themselves. But throw in Torque and Dee's hatred of Zim alongside theirs? It's only a matter of time before someone does something we're all going to regret not seeing coming." Lahna tapped her pen on her chin and wrote something down for her homework. "And they're masters at faking it, so they can hide things from us all they want."

"I can see through Caleb." Zim stated. "I'm not worried about him. If it comes down to it, I'll dislocate his jaw again, so he can't say shit."

"Feisty." Gaz pointed out.

"You laugh, but its common. Four that he admits to, two that Caleb says were him, but we have no proof." Sila stated. "We downplayed it for the others, but Jun and Caleb hatred for one another is so deep, no one can stop them if they go at one another's throats."

"Ense would." Lahna pointed out. "He's the only person I know stupid enough to get between Zim and Caleb and yank them apart by their collars, only to physically stand between them and prevent them from swinging."

"Is that common, too?" Gaz gave Sila a sideways look as she reset her game.

"Too common."

"I don't know if he's brave or a fool."

"A bit of both." Sila shrugged.

"He knows I won't hurt him. And he knows Caleb is too afraid of me to hurt him."

"Caleb pisses his damn pants when you come around." Sila laughed.

"Didn't seem afraid of you when he was giving you dirty looks all throughout lunch. Keef said he ran his mouth a bit in math, too." Lahna stated.

"Yeah, he did. But that's because other people were there, and he could tell Torque and I had our own problems with one another." Zim stated. "He'll act tough if there's people around, especially people that will back him up."

"Lucky for us, he's got an entire table full of them."

"Minus Zayena." Lahna offered.

"Use her." Gaz stated.

"What?"

"Use her as a spy. If anything comes up concerning you, she'll know."

"I'm not using her as a spy." Zim rolled his eyes. "We've had conversations where things popped up about them, and she swears she'll say anything if she feels its relevant or I should know."

"Of all the things you've done in your life, using Zayena as a spy is where you draw the line." Sila whistled. "You're as unbelievable as your libido, Jun."

"Shut up." He elbowed her.

"Dare I ask?"

"I get around." Zim rolled his eyes. "There, I admit it. At least, I used to back home."

"What happened? You came here and lost your sex appeal?"

"I'm not into teenagers." Zim informed. "And the girls back home have zero self-respect. Hooking up with a guy like me was a trophy."

"Piss off Daddy was the name of it." Sila stated. "Or maybe that was the name of the game they played. Hard to tell sometimes."

"Would you shut up?"

"Never."

"I see." Gaz snorted. "Maybe if you didn't lose it, they wouldn't question your damn sexuality on your desk."

"Oh, I'm sure Shraela's already run her mouth." Zim stated. "The one girl outside of my family and friends that I wouldn't sleep with, and she's always all over me. Makes it hard to resist."

"Or just hard." Lahna offered.

Sila laughed as Zim glared at her.

"Go to your room."

Laughter filled the room, even coming from Gaz. The doorbell rang and Zim excused himself to answer, letting Lahna take over on GTA. He opened it without looking and was surprised to have the door pushed open in his face. He was expecting Ense or Chase to be on the other side of the door, not Zayena.

"What are you doing here?" He asked.

"We need to talk." She replied.

"Did they see you?"

"No, everyone's home. I made certain of it before I came here. Other than Caleb and Shraela, they've all got bed times." She pushed in past Zim. "Hey ladies."

Sila and Gaz grunted.

"Hey." Lahna waved at her.

"What's up?" Zim asked.

"Don't open your locker tomorrow." Zayena ordered. "Unless you want a face full of Jell-O."

"For real? How juvenile."

"Hey, talked them out of flaming shit on your doorstep."

"How the hell would they get Keef's shit?" Lahna asked.

Zayena giggled. "Good question. But seriously. They're going to just escalate. Caleb is going to make sure of that. He didn't have to say much tonight at the meeting for me to figure it out. Shraela seems on board with anything, but she's a bit hesitant on this one."

"Think she knows you'll report it back to me?" Zim leaned on the door with his arms folded over his chest.

"I don't know." Zayena shook her head. "I didn't sense anyone following me, and I didn't come directly here."

"Good." Sila stated. "Keep it that way. Or next time just shoot a text."

"Yeah, that will be the first thing on my mind next time. Promise." Zayena rolled her eyes. "As for you. What? No reward?" She leaned forward, hands on her hips as she puckered her lips and closed her eyes.

He grabbed her around the waist and pulled her to him before flipping the two of them and pinning her to the door.

"Just what kind of reward are you looking for?"

She flushed, eyes traveling south. "Something more private…?"

He smirked. "Come on." He led her to where the 'stairs' where. In reality it was a half staircase that led to an elevator. "Don't wait up." He tossed over his shoulder.

"I think that's my cue to go." Gaz stated as she watched the couple go down, Zayena giggling and gripping tight to Zim's arm. "I'm not certain if she's genuine about him, but he should be careful."

"Why do you say that?"

"If they turned Dib against him, it's only a matter of time that they try to do the same to her if they know she's connected to him." Gaz pulled open the front door. "I doubt those enemies of yours can stay silent forever."

It slammed shut behind her, leaving an awkward silence.

"You don't think she's right, do you?" Lahna asked softly.

"She better not be." Sila stated. "I encouraged him. I'm not risking all those years over this broad."

"He wouldn't blame you."

"You never know what heartache can do to a man, Lahna."

Other than agreeing on what to do in the game, neither girl said anything for the rest of the night.