Dlbn: Hello, everyone! Here I am with another update despite the terrible pain in my face.
Nbld: We'll survive. Time for Review Corner! Thank you to Zim'sMostLoyalServant and Invader Johnny for reviewing! Candy for you both!
Zim'sMostLoyalServant: I feel like he shouldn't be with what he was like briefly in the show, but someone with a brain isn't a bad thing, I guess. They're not going to take Torque's garbage forever.
Invader Johnny: It really is. I find most people are like that. Break their trust and you're screwed.
Disclaimer: I own the OCs but no one else. Everything canon belongs to Invader Zim and therefore Jhonen C Vasquez. I make NO money off this. I'm just a fangirl waiting for the movie to come out already. Release it, you cowards! (words stolen from Aaron Alexxovich)
000
Drinking the night before knowing they were playing baseball in gym the next day was definitely not the best idea Zim ever had. But it wasn't the worst. Being friends with Dib was the worst idea he'd had while on Earth, second only to drinking before he had to pilot that mech back on Irk. Okay, cheating on Zayena way back when was up there too, but semantics. He'd made a lot of mistakes both on Earth and on Irk; it was hard to pick one out of everything that wasn't the Xa'ie incident. He felt like his brother knew he was hung over and that was why the coach had put him on first base. He narrowly avoided a baseball becoming a permanent fixture of his face when Torque threw it from second to try and make a double play. Quick reflexes forcing his arm up were to thank for the fact that the ball was in his glove and not on his head.
"Get your head in the game, Zim!" Ense called to him. "I don't care how sick you are. You're here to play, man!"
"Bite me." Zim muttered, tossing the ball to the pitcher.
The boy tipped his hat and nodded his thanks, spinning the ball around behind his back as Daila stepped up to the plate. Zim perked up, knowing Torque or his crew would go after her the moment they got because she and her cousin were always being otherwise protected by himself, Gabe, or Sila. Aila was up after her, so he had to stay extra aware. All he needed was three strikes for each of them and they'd be in the clear. But knowing his luck today, one of them would hit the ball straight to Torque and he'd have to deal with it. He heard the crack of a bat and was surprised to see the ball sail over the jock's head towards center field. He heard other students calling out that they got it and Torque yelling at them to make up their minds as Daila passed him, lightly tapping him on the forehead with her palm. The ball went to Torque just as Daila practically slid under his arm to reach the bag.
"Safe!" The kid playing third base coach called, making the motion with his arms.
Torque glared at him as he tossed the ball to the pitcher and he shrunk away.
"Nice hit!" Ense called. "Good hustle, outfield!"
"Not good enough." Zim heard Daila chirp.
He gave Torque a glare that dared him to make any kind of move on the new student, but he was certain the jock didn't see it. At home plate, Aila swung the bat, missing it by inches twice.
"Two outs!" The pitcher called. "One more and that's the inning!"
"Come on, come on, come on…" Zim muttered to himself like a mantra.
His hope that she'd strike out were shattered the moment he heard the bat crack again and saw a ball go flying. It went towards Torque and he caught it, shooting it at Aila instead of Zim.
"Aila! Duck!" Zim called out, but she didn't seem to hear him.
Too late, the ball clocked her on the head, making her cry out and hold the spot. She stopped running and almost stumbled forward, but Zim caught her before she could fall.
"Are you okay?" Zim asked. "That was a cheap throw."
"Sorry!" Torque called, false apology dripping from his tongue like sugar.
Zim felt like dealing with him, but he had bigger problems with Aila holding her head and barely squinting up at him.
"Hit me like a freight train. God damn." Aila complained, plopping on the ground and holding her head in her hands.
Zim heard the slap of flesh on flesh and looked over just in time to see Torque's head still turned sideways with a big hand print on one cheek. Daila's hand was still poised from striking him.
"Be more careful!" She complained. "You could have hurt her!"
"I said I was sorry." Torque clicked his jaw as he glared down at her.
The height difference between them didn't bother the Irken as much as their culture dictated it probably should have, and she stood up taller, hands on her hips.
"And we all know that apology was a lie and means jack shit."
"Daila, enough." Ense called, walking onto the field. "Aila? Do you need to go to the nurse?"
"I'm good, Ense!" She called back, standing up.
"Alright, take your base. Torque, don't be an ass."
"I said I was…"
"Yeah, we all heard you fake your way through an apology."
Ense watched Aila standing where she was next to Zim, swaying a little bit. The gangster wrapped an arm around her waist so she wouldn't fall.
"Zim, take her to the nurse." Ense ordered. "I'll pitch. Riley, cover for Zim on first, would you?"
"Sure, coach." The pitcher jogged over, taking Zim's glove and tossing it across the diamond to the mound for their coach.
Ense caught it mid swoop. "And for the love of god, don't you dare tell Gabe about this."
"I'm not that stupid." Zim argued. "Come on, Aila."
"I'll check on you later!" Daila called as she walked backwards towards her base, cupping her hands around her mouth to make her shout carry further.
Aila nodded and waved her off as Zim escorted her to the building.
"Are you sure you're okay? You can barely walk, and you're swaying around when you stand."
"My head hurts like a bitch. I think I have a concussion." She groaned, rubbing her temples. "How do I explain this one to Gabe?"
"I'll take the fall." Zim said. "He knows I'm hungover, so me not being able to throw a ball properly shouldn't surprise him."
"No, I don't want you lying to cover Torque's ass."
"He is an ass, and I'm not tall enough to cover that up."
She giggled, groaning when it made her head throb.
"Sh, we're almost to the nurse. Next door on the left."
"Thanks." She shakily opened the door.
"How can I help you?" The nurse greeted. "Ah, Zim! Who's your friend? Honey, are you okay?"
"Does everyone around here know you?" Aila groaned, plopping into a chair and holding her head.
"Torque hit her in the head with a softball in class." Zim told the nurse, putting a hand on Aila's shoulder. "She's wobbly when she stands, and giggling makes her head hurt."
"Oh dear." The nurse grabbed a couple tings and came over. "Dear, can you look into the light here for me? What's your name?"
"Aila." She informed, looking up as best she could and staring into the light being shone in both of her eyes.
"Nice to meet you, Aila. I'm Ms. Kennedy; the school nurse. You can call me Kennedy if you'd like. Or Nurse. Either one is fine." She nodded. "It doesn't look like she has a concussion. Her eyes seem okay. I'd send her for an CT scan for her head but I'm not certain I want to do that to a young girl."
He could do it in his labs and no one would be any wiser.
"I'm going to ask you a few questions, okay?"
"Okay…"
"What's your full name.
"Aila Serline Fesher."
"And your date of birth?"
"February 15, 2000."
The year was fake to make her seem like a teenager. At least they'd been smart enough to do that.
"And what's his name?"
"Zim Halen."
"What grade are you in?"
"Eleventh."
"And where do you live?"
"45 Terrace Court."
The home she shared with her cousin and Gabe down the road from Zim's cul-de-sac.
"Do you have a boyfriend?"
"Yeah, Gabe."
"Any family here?"
"My cousin Daila."
"Where are you from?"
"Massachusetts."
"What state is this?"
"Am I trying to prove I'm a citizen or something?"
The nurse chuckled. "Just checking your memory, hon."
"Vermont."
"Very good." She nodded. "Okay, enough of those. On a scale of one to ten, how much does your head hurt right now?"
"I don't know. Like a nine? Was a seven before you shone that light in my face."
"Sorry. Do you feel like you might vomit?"
"No. I'm hungry, though."
"Zim, could you go get her a snack from the vending machine, hon? Maybe she needs some sugar before the end of the day."
"I'll pay you back." Aila promised.
"Don't worry about it." Zim waved her house. "We take care of our own, remember?" He winked, leaving the office.
"Our own?" The nurse asked.
"I'm friends with Zim and his crew."
"Oh, that's wonderful." She smiled. "Perhaps that's why Torque lashed out…"
"Even you know it was on purpose."
"With the drama between those kids, I'm not that surprised." She shook her head.
"Yeah…Zim and I know one another from before here, though. We're all from the same town."
"Oh! You're from Beverly, as well?"
She nodded, though she had no idea what the woman was talking about.
"You said all?"
"Zim, Lahna, Gabe, Sila, Dalia, Gabe, myself, Caleb, Shraela, Zayena…we all grew up around one another."
"Well, isn't it great to reunite with old friends?"
"Except Caleb and Shraela, and I guess Zayena." She shrugged. "I don't have a problem with her, just I know what she's really like back home, so it's a little weird. My cousin and Gabe and I have been together for a while, but the others have been gone a long time."
"And why are Caleb and Shraela not friends with you?"
She laughed. "He and Zim hate each other's guts." She held her head as she leaned back. "And it's not going to change any time soon. He's probably egging Torque on, really."
"I see…" She nodded. "Such a shame when people can't forget old petty differences. Especially when they move. They're not even here a couple weeks and already they're starting on Zim and his friends? For shame."
"Extreme hatred has no understanding of common decency." Aila shook her head. "I'm sure they would have beat the tar out of one another by now if it wasn't for the whole suspension thing the principal held over everyone."
"Were you here for that?"
"No, Keef went into detail on the issue."
"I see…I wonder what started this…"
"Dib left." Aila replied. "Dib ditched his friends to hang with Dee when they started dating. They hung out after school with him, but it wasn't the same. Then one day she tells him he has to toss Zim to the side permanently or lose her. You can pretty much guess what he did." She sighed. "I don't know, I guess things got real heated between Zim and Dib and Lahna and whoever else had to stop Zim from pounding him. Dib wanted to stay friends with everyone else, but they told him to pretty much take a hike. Things kind of went downhill from there and they've been targeted ever since."
She nodded. "You seem positive Zim would fight any of those kids if given the chance."
"I wouldn't blame him. It's real shitty what Dib did. And Caleb? Well, he's just an ass. Always has been, always will be. I can't stand him half the time. None of us back home can, but we're not going to do anything about it. Fighting Caleb is Zim's turf. They've done it so many times I've lost count."
"I can't see Zim fighting anyone like that. Sticking up for himself and his friends, yes. But not outright fighting."
"He's changed a lot since he got here. His temper's dwindled, he's god good friends and descent grades…he wouldn't hit Dib since he's going to be eighteen soon and Dib isn't, but Caleb is another story. Even if he is younger."
"I see…you've provided a lot of insight here. How is Gretchen doing? She was having a panic attack over mashed potatoes the last time I saw her."
"She seems okay." Aila shrugged. "I didn't know her before all this started, so I can't tell you if she's changed or anything, but I think she's starting to come to terms with Dib turning on them. I only wish Zim could. Once he lets go of the anger and the pain, he can heal and move on."
The nurse nodded. "Sometimes it's hard to let go. When it's a close friend that betrays you, sometimes it's even harder."
Aila nodded, about to respond when Zim reentered the room and tossed her a cinnamon bun.
"Is she okay?" He asked.
Kennedy grinned. "She's just fine. I think she's a little off balance from being hit, but I doubt it's a concussion. She's very cognitive."
"That's good." Zim nodded.
"You go back to class. Aila, stay here a few minutes, would you? I'd like to monitor you for a bit."
"Okay." She nodded, looking up at Zim. "I'll be fine, Junior."
"I know." He pat her on the shoulder before leaving. "Ran into Gabe. Told him it was someone else for now."
"Where is he going?"
"Bathroom break."
She nodded. He smiled as he left the room. Torque was lucky that class was almost over or he'd go down and beat the shit out of him. Teenager or not, that was a real shitty move. Instead, he'd just go back and change, wait for Daila outside the locker rooms, and go to class with her and the others. Torque could wait another day.
To say that Gabe was pissed about the incident in gym was an understatement. Aila had to bribe him with a few favors, and Sila had to threaten to knock his ass into the next week if he started shit with the kid before he backed down. He paced around outside the ice cream parlor Lahna had insisted they try out because the building was cute. She wasn't wrong, but he didn't really care for ice cream cone shaped architecture. Zim watched his friend go back and forth like a father waiting the birth of his first child in a cheesy lifetime movie. Lahna and Sila were inside eating, but Zim had suggested Gabe and he have a talk outside to cool off. Gabe wasn't one to fight with one of the bosses of Riot, even if Zim was retired from the gang, technically.
"Are you gonna sit down, or do I have to drag you into a chair?" Zim asked.
Gabe sighed, sitting backwards on a chair and tapping his fingers on the table in irritation.
"I can't believe he'd do something so asinine…and I can't believe the two of you were going to keep it from me." Gabe glared.
"Hey, we knew how you'd react. Look at you. You're about to go beat the snot out of a sixteen-year-old punk with no idea who he's fucking with." Zim snapped. "But now you know, and now we gotta deal with your temper before you get yourself arrested and expose the whole lot of us. Everyone thinks we know each other from growing up together. If one of us has their age outed, the rest of us do, too. Got me?"
"Yeah, I got you." Gabe groaned, leaning his chin on his arms as he folded them over the back of the chair. "I just wish there was something we could do, man. Your brother and Chase always get in the way, and your friends from here aren't going to do shit to stand up for themselves. When do we stop being pushovers and start fighting back?"
Zim shrugged. "Not much we can do."
"Due, we're the kings of psychological warfare, and we can't even get a good hit in. And Caleb being there means he'll run his mouth and they won't fall for our usual tricks."
"That's why we start small and let them think we're up to something. None of the teachers or staff will point the fingers at us. And while Torque and his crew are blaming us, and they're looking elsewhere, we'll already be winning. The fear that we'll do more is what we need to shove into their skulls."
"You're planning something, aren't you, Junior?" Gabe leaned in. "I want in, man. They messed with the wrong guy's girlfriend."
"Nothing major, and nothing I'm talking about out in public."
Gabe nodded. "I hear you. Later?"
"Later." Zim nodded. "Say nothing, got me?"
"Loud and clear boss." Gabe smirked. "But I feel better now."
"Good. Come on; let's go back in."
Gabe followed him. The moment the door to the ice cream parlor shut, Zim started laughing.
"What's so funny?" Gabe wondered.
"Shraela was listening in, dude. You didn't notice? I could smell her damn perfume a mile away. And I doubt she was alone. Either Caleb was with her, or her friends."
"You lied to me to get in their…Junior, you brilliant mother fucker!" Gabe wrapped an arm around his neck as they joined the girls.
"So, someone's in a good mood. Why is Jun brilliant?" Sila asked.
"We'll discuss it at home." Zim smirked. "It's about time we took a stand, eh?"
Lahna clapped her hands together. "So exciting!"
Exciting indeed.