Here we go~

The plot thickens!

Dib limped into the hallway, whimpering in pain. Who would have thought that an Irken would injure him this badly two days in a row? And this time, he wasn't even trying to agitate her!

He didn't have to walk far before coming across a teacher, who immediately started scolding him for spilling blood all over the recently cleaned hallway. As if her yelling would make Dib suddenly stop bleeding.

"I-I'm sorry! There was alie-" Dib paused. He needed help. He had no time for explaining how aliens existed for the millionth time. He needed a doctor, he needed his father. He started again. "There… Was a mugger… He stole my lunch money."

This wasn't a total lie. Some kids did steal his lunch money earlier. The ladies expression changed almost instantly to concern. "Bullies! Tisk, tisk… Well, we'll have to call your father and a doctor for those nasty boo-boo's, won't we?" she said, already pulling out a personal cell phone.

Dib smiled weakly and decided to lean against a vending machine for support.

xXx

Zim waited and waited, but Dib never returned. He was twitching with anticipation now. Where was the puny human? Did he retreat to the restrooms due do some foul stomach flu?

Miss Bitters' phone rang and she answered with little hesitation. Whatever it to distract her from the job she hated so much. Zim didn't pay attention to this small, seemingly unimportant event. Her sick morbid smile went completely unnoticed as Zim continued to focus on the door, willing Dib with his mind to hurry up and return to class so he may trip him and watch him fall pathetically onto the floor in front of all his peers.

"Class, I have some very good news~" She spoke up, as she hung up the phone. Zim stiffened and slowly drew his gaze to her wrinkled face. Whatever Miss Bitters' thought to be 'good' must surely be horrible for everyone else. "Dib Membrane is leaving the school for the rest of the day due to some injuries. So we don't have to listen to his psychotic ramblings for the rest of class!"

Zim sighed in relief. Okay. That wasn't so horrible, that was actually… good. No Dib for the rest of the day? No more stupid questions? Yeah. That wall all good to Zim. And the fact that he was injured was just icing on the cake. Injuries on top of the ones he inflicted? That was the glimmering cherry.

Miss Bitters was in such a good mood, she gave let everyone go home early to celebrate their Dib-Less day.

XxX

Skoodge sat up in his bed. He was feeling stronger then the day before. For whatever his reasons were, it was mostly thanks to Zim constant medical care. He would force Skoodge to swallow disgusting liquids and bitter tablets so his body would heal.

Zim said if the body weakened any more, then it would start to draw power from his Pak. Irk knows how much damage that would have been, especially since the Pak was such a delicate piece of machinery. Zim would have had to take Skoodge off Earth, to Irk… Skoodge shuddered. They were both to be banished. The Tallest would have surely punished them both severely. That would have been the most unpleasant trip.

'clack' 'clack' 'clack'

Skoodge hears footsteps clacking down the hall- Zim? He was home early.

Gathering his strength, he pulled himself off the bed and stood next to it. If Zim see's him standing, then maybe he wouldn't yell at him for not getting better again. He waited expectantly, but the footsteps simply passed his closed door. Soon, he couldn't hear them at all.

Zim… passed his door? Not that Zim never ignored Skoodge before, but this was the first time since he was sick that he's done that. Sighing, he sat back down on the edge of his bed. If Zim wasn't home early for him, then it must be something much more important. But for the life of him, he couldn't figure out what. Zim wasn't working on anything big lately, and if it was about Dib, he would have remained outside.

He wasn't in a hurry; the footsteps were too calmly paced. Maybe… He was going to contact the Tallests? Yes… That must have been it.

'clack' 'clack' 'clack'

He was walking back? Skoodge raised a non-existent eyebrow. That was too fast to call the Tallest. Perhaps he forgot something? He wondered if the footsteps would pause in front of his door this time.

They did.

Skoodge groaned and got back to his feet. He didn't feel that energetic! Spending days at a time in bed took a real toll on his legs. That, and he was still recovering. The door creaked open.

"Zim, you're home early!" he piped up. He would have said more, but his voice got caught in his throat at the sight of unfamiliar Irken.

Tak was the one that was walking down the hall way.

Not Zim.