Dlbn: Hey, everyone. Welcome to a very overdue update.

Nbld: Between getting the flu twice (second time thanks to someone in my son's school passing it to him and then me), a convention, a career change, and excruciating back pain, been too busy to update.

Dlbn: Wow, you're the one giving out excuses this time. I'm impressed.

Nbld: Shut up. Time for the Review Corner! Thank you to Zim'sMostLoyalServant, Invader Johnny, and Katsu for reviewing chapter 32, and guest for reviewing chapter one! Candy for you all!

Zim'sMostLoyalServant: I'm glad you like them so far. I know OCs can get annoying after a while. Yes, I do intend on having canon Irkens show up later, but I can't say who, when, or why. That's part of the surprise. It's funny how they both think they're in charge when there's not really anyone in charge at this point.

Invader Johnny: Thank you! And they don't even realize it. I'm not sure whether that's funny or just plain sad.

Katsu: I'm glad you're enjoying! Thank you for your kind words! More coming up!

Guest: Well, that's a slightly odd review. I'll give your stories a read when I get the time to get online again.

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot and OCs. Everything canon to Invader Zim belongs to Jhonen C. Vasquez. I make NO money off writing this.

000

Zim gave his English teacher an incredulous look when she announced the teams for the next project and placed him with Torque and Dib, of all people. He could hear his former friend and the jock groan at the same time as it was announced.

"You have got to be kidding." Zim complained. "You know that's a bad idea, right?"

"Maybe if you kids learned to work together instead of working against one another, all this nonsense will stop." She informed. "I've made up my mind."

"We're not working with him." Dib argued. "I'd rather die."

"That can be arranged, though I share the sentiment." Zim rolled his eyes.

"No ifs, ands, or buts. You have a problem with it, you take it up with the Principal."

"Gladly." Zim stated, grabbing his bag.

"Junior, stop." Daila ordered him softly.

"Are you seriously going to walk out on me right now, Mr. Halen?"

"These idiots torment my friends and I every day, and you expect me to forget that and work with them? Seriously? I don't forgive and forget so easily. Especially the dumber one."

"Hey!" Dib complained.

"Least you knew I meant you. That's a start."

"Listen you egotistical, narcissistic…"

"Enough!" The teacher groaned. "You want to complain to the Principal, Zim, be my guest. By all means. But you two will not continue to disrespect one another in my class. I'll be speaking with the Principal personally to try and split you two up. One of you is going to have to change classes."

"Seriously?" Dib complained.

"It won't be you." Torque reassured him.

"Because you've got the entire school's administration in your pocket." Zim rolled his eyes. "Of course, it's going to be me that takes the hit. What the hell else is new around here?"

"Junior…" Aila warned this time.

"Dude, shut up." Sila ordered, finally sick of the arguing. "Go file your complaint and get over it. You get switched out of classes, whatever."

"Sila…" Keef complained.

"If you have such strong opinions, Ms. Masy, why don't you join him?" The teacher folded her arms and tapped her toes like a child.

Gabe slapped his forehead with his hand as he leaned back in his chair. Did their teacher seriously try to pull a power move on Sila of all people?

Sila put up her hands in defense as she stood. "Sure." She stated. "You had to have known this would backfire on you. But for the record, I'm only going so he just doesn't walk out of the building." She gave him a playful shove. "Move."

"Yes, mother, whatever you say." He gave her a half-hearted military salute.

Keef giggled as the two gangsters left, quietly bickering back and forth in Irken so they wouldn't be understood so easily.

"You just have to make a scene, don't you?" Sila wondered once they were far enough from the classroom.

"I made a scene? She put me with the two Stooges. No one in their right mind would put a bully with his victim."

"Since when are you a victim? Since when are any of us?" Sila snorted. "We've got the majority of Riot here, and I bet you anything Corbin is on his way eventually. Why are we taking shit from these punk ass kids that don't know no better?" She rolled her eyes, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. "When are we going to stop taking their shit and start giving it back to them? We're Riot, for god's sake. This shit never would have flown back home, and we all know it. We're the Kings of revenge, man, so why not throw a little old-fashioned revenge right in their smug little faces?"

"They're children, Sila. We can't do shit to them; you know that."

"Okay, your conscience aside, who cares? No one knows how old we are here. We're just teenagers to them. We can kick some ass and take some names as teenagers and no one will be any wiser." Sila stated. "You can feel bad about it after it's done. I'm not talking some old-fashioned Riot styled beat down here. They pelted your sister in the face with Jell-O. She hasn't slept since. They went after your friends, and you're pissed. They went after your sister, and they've got a death wish. Everyone knows they crossed the line, even if they don't know why. It's about time we took our place around here. We don't belong on the bottom rung and you know it."

"We don't belong here at all." Zim countered. "We belong back home, where we run the streets. We belong back home, partying it up and causing hell day and night. We don't belong here, Sila."

"No god damn fucking shit we don't belong here, Jun. but instead of wallowing in our own self-pity and letting them shit all over us, we should be fighting back." Sila pulled from him and slugged his shoulder. "Get your head out of your ass, man."

He couldn't help but agree as he flushed and opened the door to the Principal's office.

"Hello, Torque." The secretary sighed. "I'll let him know you're here…"

"Actually, it's me." Zim replied.

She looked up quickly. "Oh, Zim. You're never in trouble. What are you doing here?"

Sila gave her a look that said really.

"I don't think I'm in trouble. Teacher gave us project group assignments and I didn't like mine, so I came here."

She sighed. "Hold on." She punched a number on her desk phone. "Zim is here to file a complaint…I'm not sure, something about group projects…okay, thank you." She hung up. "He'll be out in a second."

"Thanks." Zim took a seat.

"Sila, right? You're here to complain, too?"

"Nah, just keeping genius here company so he doesn't just walk out of school."

"Oh, honey, he'd never do that."

The phone rang and she answered before Sila could reply. The door to the Principal's office opened and he sighed.

"Come on in, you two." He greeted.

"I'm out." Sila stated. "Just escorting. Don't cause too much trouble, a'right?"

"A'right."

Zim nodded, exchanging their handshake with her before joining the Principal and following him into his office.

"So…project groups, hm?" He asked. "You're not with your friends or something?"

"No, worse. I'm with Torque and…ugh…Dib."

"…She's aware of the situation involving you kids, no?"

"She thinks if we are forced to work together, we will learn to get along." Zim stated. "Judging by the look on your face, I'm imagining you think it's as stupid as I do."

The Principal laced his fingers together and leaned his elbows on the desk. He tapped the tips of his pointer fingers together.

"I'm supposed to support our teachers and everything they do, but I have to agree. In no uncertain terms, that is."

"I hear you."

"Putting you alone with two of your biggest tormentors is only going to increase contact, not understanding." He continued. "I'll have her change, but next time, wait until class it's over."

"Sure…oh, and do me a huge favor? Don't let her put Daila and Aila with them either. Those two are lambs in a lion's den, if you get my drift."

"How chivalrous of you to look after the two new girls."

Zim shrugged. "We're friends. Just wouldn't want one of my own getting jumped, you know?"

"I know." He nodded once. "Alright, head back to class. Work with Sila's group for now. I'll make a quick call."

"Thank you, I appreciate it. You've saved me one hell of a headache."

The Principal extended a hand. "I'm just glad you're taking the high ground and not pulling some kind of revenge scheme on them."

Zim shook it. "I wouldn't dream of it."

And that was why he could get away with it.

000

His teacher ended up tossing him into Sila's group and moving one of her group mates to Torque and Dib's group. Zim recognized the kid as another football player, so he was probably happy to be away from Sila and him. He and Sila also had Daila and Aila in their group. True to his word, the Principal had told the teacher that Daila and Aila were not to be put with Dib or Torque for any reason. Being on the football team paid off around here, but being a descent kid worked, too. Who knew?

That night, Zim lounged around his house with his roommates and the new students. As they joked around about past events, he couldn't help but feel giddy. He was certain Corbin would show up eventually, but for now, he was content with most of his old friends being around. Ense hadn't been too thrilled to learn that Riot was being sent to Earth one by one, or one by three in this case, but as long as his brother was happy again, he insisted he didn't give a damn. Zim had a feeling he was lying, and Chase admitted he thought so, too, but they'd address that during family dinner Friday night. Doing dinner together at the Havens' place was their normal Friday night routine. No one had to ask if it was happening; they just showed up and found the place stocked to the brim with food. Sila said she'd start staying with Gabe and the girls to keep them company so the Havens and Chase could have quality family only time, so it was just going to be the four of them now.

"So why are you here?" Lahna asked. "How bad did you piss off the military?"

"Some soldiers were harassing Daila at the bar, and I stepped in." Gabe stated.

"He took a swing and landed a beer bottle on top of the one guy's head." Aila stated.

"Almost got his ass kicked." Daila laughed. "But it was worth it to impress Aila, no?"

Gabe pulled her cousin closer by the waist. "You could say that…plus, you're Riot. No one fucks with Riot. No one."

"Just Caleb. And Torque's crew."

"Those idiots don't know what they're messing with." Zim stated. "But I feel there's more to the story, so…?"

"Not really. We got into a fight, and soldiers broke down my door the next day to haul me off. Took Daila since the fight started over her, and Aila tried to protest, so they yanked her up, too."

"And long story short, they banished you. No warning, no nothing."

"No…breaking…?" Lahna wondered.

"Breaking? What's that?" Aila wondered.

"Rape."

"What? No!" Aila flushed, waving her hands in front of her. "They do that kind of thing?"

"Yeah, to me…"

Everyone fell silent.

"How have you not gone back home to knock his head in, Junior?" Gabe asked.

"And get my ass killed instead of being here to protect her?" Zim wondered. "No way, man. The time will come for that, but it's not here yet."

"Here, here." Aila nodded, holding her hand up in a mock toast.

"Speaking of things we do with beer, where is it?"

"You got credits, you buy it." Sila stated. "Junior's tapped out, and Lahna's almost dry. I've got enough for a few months."

"What do we do when we run out?" Aila wondered. "They won't give us more, right?"

"You get a job here, get Earth money, and buy Earth products."

"Ew." Daila's antennae twitched. "Gross."

"It's what I've been doing for a couple years." Zim informed.

"You have a job? Okay, where's the punchline? Or is that the punchline and you forgot the joke?" Gabe asked.

"I'm serious here, asshole." Zim hit him with a pillow. "It's not like I had a choice. Either work or starve. I chose to not starve."

"How the mighty have fallen indeed…"

"Come on, Sila and Lahna didn't give me this much shade when I told them. Zayena neither."

"Do you really think you can trust her?" Daila wondered. "She's pretty two-faced."

"And she doesn't mean that whole social anxiety crap she's trying to pull here." Aila shook her head.

"What do you know?" Zim asked.

"She likes to talk shit about people is all."

"What did she get arrested for?"

"Buying booze for minors. Three strikes and all that crap." Gabe stated. "After that, I don't know what happened, but she's clearly here now."

"You don't think I can trust her?" Zim gave Daila a look.

"All I'm saying, is while she's here talking trash about them and telling you their plans, who knows what she's telling them about you when you're not around." She shrugged. "I don't think she'd outright betray you unless she had an extreme reason to do so."

"Such as her friends threatening to ditch her if she doesn't help them."

"Or Caleb threatening to out her to their friends if she doesn't do what he wants or tells you anything."

"I wouldn't be surprised." Sila stated. "She pretty much said it to his face that she'd throw him under the bus to save face."

"For real? Ugh." Gabe sighed. "Bitches, man."

Aila hit him.

"Something about prom coming and her friends might want her to say yes to me or ask me to go or whatever; I don't know." Zim shrugged. "Wasn't planning on doing prom, to be honest."

"Well, good to know we found one more thing you wouldn't do. Your standards are starting to rise." Lahna giggled.

Zim rolled his eyes at her. "Pervert."

"Speaking of things you're doing, are you going to her place?"

"Nah, I told her I had a lot of homework to do."

"Meaning you're hanging with us instead but didn't want to tell her."

"Bingo."

"I don't see why you just don't tell her." Daila stated. "I mean, I know how she's all jealous and shit, but come on. It's just a Riot meeting, for god's sake."

"She's technically Riot if she's with me." Zim stated. "So, she'd wanna be here. Honestly, I just need quality time with the gang without worrying about my girl getting jealous over these two." He nodded at the cousins, who blushed.

"Sad that she's threatened by us. You knew us first." Aila commented.

"Yeah, he knew you like a month or so longer, and that's cuz he slept with your cousin twice." Sila laughed.

"That's not my point." Aila laughed. "It's still pathetic. We're just two more members of Riot. That's all. I mean, I'm with Gabe for crying out loud."

"We all know the lines that define a healthy relationship don't matter to a Seoulian in our age group." Zim countered. "Don't act like we don't."

"She's the only girl you gave up being a man whore for." Gabe pointed out.

Lahna almost spit out her soda, coughing as she laughed.

"Serves you right." Zim glared, smirking. "Shut up, Gabe."

"I'm serious! You got with her and you stopped sleeping around. Did you even cheat on her like you did with most of your exes? No."

"Oh yes, I did." Zim rolled his eyes. "Once, and I hated myself for it…I kind of wonder if she does, too."

"Not this whole she's going to betray me one way or another bullshit again, Jun." Sila groaned, leaning her head back on the back of the couch. "I thought that debate was settled at your brother's."

"Yeah, but I opened a new can of worms when I opened my big mouth." Lahna stated.

"Hey, Ense asked, you told. Nothing wrong with that." Zim shrugged. "You're my sister, you're trying to help. Not hurt me."

"Like I'd ever do shit to hurt you of all people." Lahna laughed. "Come on, bro, I'm not Dib."

Despite the laughter in the air, Zim felt his sister's words tug heavily on his heart. He needed a beer.