Dib POV
This had to be the greatest day of my life!
Not only did somebody finally finally agree with me about Zim being an extraterrestrial, but that somebody had instantly decided to sit at my table! I had thought I would fall over when I saw the new face staring at me and then I had to pick my jaw up off the ground because not only was a new student sitting with me; it was none other than the new girl. Now I may not be as interested in females as other guys, I think the only girl I've ever had any interest in was Tak...and she turned out to be an alien! Still, it was nice to have one of the 'fairer' sex around. My sister did not count. At all.
My heart palpitated in my breast as I decided to get all my paperwork together tonight in order to share it with her at lunch tomorrow. I was so glad she was not an idiot like ninety-nine percent of the human population. It was so...refreshing to have somebody else to talk to besides Gaz and my heated arguments with Zim. I had not realized how lonely I had become cut off from the rest of human society. Even when I did talk with my fellow classmates the conversation was somehow lacking.
Now, though, I had someone to speak about my observations with, someone other than the members of the Swollen Eyeball who thought I was the idiot thanks to Zim and his stupid waffles. I stopped suddenly and my heart froze in my chest as I heard it, something I had not heard for weeks.
A werewolf's call.
The din of domestic howls rose around me as the neighboring dogs answered the summons the best they could and I instantly grabbed my tape recorder. I had thought the werewolves had moved on and felt their absence keenly. I had hoped to capture one to reinstate my credibility in the Swollen Eye. Now was my chance to submit something to them that they had not heard before.
I grabbed my high-quality tape recorder and headed for the roof. There was always at least two howls back to back if it was a werewolf and I was going to get that second howl on tape. My heart was hammering and my hands were clammy as I hit the 'record' button, thanking technology for digital advancement as the second howl rose more urgently than the first. The dogs around me responded louder, but the eerie sound was still evident through the ruckus.
I saw Zim's cruiser zip towards the forest and my eyes narrowed, was that where the other wolves had gone? Zim never did miss a chance to make me look like a fool, intentional or not. I clicked the tape recorder off after waiting a few more moments to see if it would cry again and slid down the side of my house.
Agent Darkbooty had to hear this.
I was too amped up to sleep after sending Darkbooty a copy of the tape. In order to get him to read it I tried to play like I did not know what the sound was in my e-mail, so that perhaps he would feel superior enough once he identified it to respond swiftly and positively after the waffle incident almost six months ago. Since I could not sleep I simply paced back and forth before deciding to go through my closet looking for my 'werewolf' arsenal.
I dug out my body armor, still untried against the fangs of a werewolf, and a taser that I had convinced my father I needed for protection from bears while 'camping.' While unconventional my logic was; if it could stop a bear it could probably stop a werewolf. Probably. I wanted to catch one alive to send back to the Swollen Eye, and all the information on the beasts was how to defeat and kill them. I had to improvise somehow.
I glanced at my clock and winced, it was already two in the morning. I was not looking forward to the morning. I nearly jumped out of my skin as my computer beeped to notify me of an incoming call from agent Darkbooty. My heart nearly stopped with excitement as I raced to my computer to answer it.
The familiar shaded figure greeted me, but the screen was split and several others were also present in the group call.
"Agent Mothman, we trust we find you well." Agent Darkbooty opened the conversation. "I've included a few colleagues, I'm sure you remember Agent Nessie, agent TunaGhost and Agent Disembodied head. The fact that the three of us have contacted you should alert you to the value of your findings."
"So you know what the sound was, then?" Dib continued to play as if he did not know what he had stumbled upon, and he could tell he was already back in the Swollen Eyeball's good graces.
"Indeed, we believe a species of Lycanthrope has decided to settle in your area, though from the call alone it is impossible to tell what kind. It would please us very much if you could investigate this situation further. Should you need any supplies, please do not hesitate to ask." Darkbooty paused, "I'm sure you're well aware of your werewolf saftey, however to be sure I am sending you a digital copy of Agent TunaGhost's field research."
"Thank you, I won't let you down, Agent Mothman signing off." He planned to get them much more than investigative information. They would have an entire specimen to study if he had anything to say in the matter. And between the Taser and this new information, he was feeling lucky, very lucky indeed.
Timelapse
My alarm woke me up at seven sharp and I groaned as I forced my eyes open. My back and face ached from the position I had fallen asleep in. I was still hunched over my computer with my keyboard substituting as a pillow, and a very poor one at that. I had been so absorbed in the investigation findings that I had collapsed from exhaustion right on top of them. My poor computer did not know what to think of all the key commands I had given it and dozens of prompt boxes decorated the desktop. At least I had not messed up the original document I had been reading.
Drearily I got ready for school and followed Gaz out the door. I was completely out of energy until I noticed a figure walking across the street. I perked up a bit as I remembered her interest in Zim and immediately called her over. I found a secret reserve of peppiness as I crossed the street towards her. I paused for a moment. She looked really down. Her her eyes were slightly sunken and I could hear her stomach complaining, likely she had skipped breakfast. She was really lost in thought too, I had to grab her shoulder to get her attention, and I nearly flinched as she looked like she was going to throttle me.
"Good morning!" I put as much into my voice as I could, perhaps it would lift her spirits a little. "I was so excited yesterday I forgot to welcome you to the neighborhood Did you need a tour?" She was quiet for a moment, looking competely taken aback before an easy smile slipped on and she declined.
That was when Zim had caught my attention.
"Dib-Stink!" I thought Jaycee was going to jump out of her skin when she heard the shout.
"Jeeze Zim you don't have to yell! You nearly gave Jaycee a heart-attack!" I did not notice that she left to trek onward with Gaz as I became absorbed in the shouting match with Zim. The two of us slowly got closer and closer to each other before I finally was close enough to reach out and grab his shirt collar, an unexpected and uncharacteristically aggressive move on my part.
"Listen." I growled, and realized I had stunned zim into a very rare momentary silence with my unusual behavior. "I know you've done something to the werewolves around here and you went to finish the last one off last night, I'm warning you that wolf is mine." I shoved him backwards, though the alien did not move much.
"You dare to touch Zim? You dare to threaten me?" He bared his sharp zipper-like teeth at me and for a moment he looked almost feral. "Those beasts are mine and I will do with them what I please. Unless you want to join them I suggest you stay out of it and mind your own business!" Zim hissed as he stalked past me.
I was slightly chilled by Zim's equally aggressive, if more reserved, response to my action. It was always a sure sign that he was serious when he did not add any sub-titles to his words. (He said Beasts instead of a more characteristic Beast-pig)