Zim flinched as the balled up note hit him in the cheek, bouncing off and onto his desk. He snatched it up with a huff, turning to throw a glare at his nemesis across the room. The human merely gestured to the piece of paper- though he didn't look angry or smug like he usually did. His eyes were wide with dilated pupils and he sat straighter in his seat. The boy seemed to be humming with pent up energy- excitement the alien realized, as he worked to un-crumple the offending wad of paper. So, something had the Dib excited. He quickly glanced around the classroom, checking to see if anyone was watching. No one was. The other seventh grade students all had their heads bent over their notes- though a couple seemed to be sleeping. After a moment he successfully opened the note and spread it in front of him. The alien snorted at the haphazard scrawl that was scattered across the page. Of course the human would have such untidy handwriting (studiously ignoring the fact that his own writing was just as terrible).
I found something cool, come with me tonight!
He rolled his eyes- why would he want to go running off into the unknown with his enemy? Then again… It's not as though he had any plans for the night. He would only have to put up with Gir trying to force-feed him more waffles, or tacos or whatever food item the little robot was invested in that day. With a sigh he turned and gave Dib a short nod of agreement before shifting back to listen to the teacher drone on about science he already had a better understanding of than most of the sad little species. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the Dib light up with a bright grin before he turned back to his work.
Dib spent the evening buzzing around the house, grabbing anything he thought he might need for tonight's adventure. Gaz watched him dispassionately between load screens from her perch on the couch; though she did raise an eyebrow when she saw him packing some snack food.
"Dib, that better not be my Bloaty's pizza sticks!" she growled out, though if she were honest, she was a bit curious as to what her brother was planning.
"And it's your turn to make dinner!" The load screen ended then and she went back to her game, almost as though nothing had happened, aside from the occasional glance towards the kitchen.
When his bag was stuffed to breaking point, Dib finally felt like he was prepared. He had packed just about everything he could think of that they might need; flashlight, food and water, charms, talismans, spell tomes, sleeping bag and a bundle of other items for protection and a night in the woods. He made one last check through his bag before scampering back into the kitchen to whip up some mac n' cheese at his sister's orders. With dinner out of the way he set off, making his way to Zim's base.
Zim slammed the door behind him as usual, sauntering into the living room to dump his school supplies on the sofa and quickly observe his surroundings. Said surroundings consisted of the TV droning the Angry Monkey show quietly while Gir flailed about on the floor with some new toy- was it supposed to be a dog? Where had that even come from? Zim shook his head, deciding he didn't care enough to figure it out, instead simply moving into the kitchen and climbing into the blue trashcan in order to descend into his labs.
The labs were kept clean and tidy, despite their lack of use in the past couple of years. Zim spent most of his time down there, even if only to relax and watch some shows he'd heard kids talking about at school. They reminded him of home, and what he was, even on the days when he wished he wasn't. Of course he knew about the Tallest's lies at this point. He had found out rather rudely, years ago, when they stopped calling and blocked all communications. At the time he hadn't noticed for weeks, being caught up with a project for class. When he finally managed to hack into their audio feed he was greeted with them laughing about him dying behind his back. He'd been terribly broken up for a while after that; stopped going to school, leaving the house- stopped everything. It had been Dib that pulled him out of his hole; barging into his base and yelling and shoving. Then he was listening. He hadn't spoken after Zim poured out his soul; but he sat by him as he let go. They weren't friends. Still he stayed.
The sound of the proximity alarms shook him from his thoughts, bringing his attention to the screens above him. The digital image of image Dib inching warily past the gate greeted him and he rolled his eyes, shutting off the security drones and slipping on his disguise as he entered the lift back to the surface.
Dib arrived at his destination after a short walk through the suburbs. The tacky green and pink house was impossible to miss, as was the wild lawn covered with scattered gnomes and flamingos. He had only gotten one foot past the crooked fence when the gnomes turned on him, eye beams powering up for the first wave of attack. The boy flinched, waiting to be blasted out of the yard, knowing he didn't have time to dodge; but nothing happened. He glanced back up, just as the door opened to reveal the disguised alien. Zim wore a heavy maroon hoodie over his usual outfit, which Dib approved of since they were heading into the woods at night in the middle of autumn. It crossed his mind that he had failed to inform the Irken of that however. Oops.
"So where are you taking me meat-smell?" Zim questioned haughtily as he walked past the human and onto the sidewalk. Dib followed close behind, hiking his bag up on his shoulders.
"The mountains on edge of town! I heard there's this old shack in the woods near the top, hidden in a glade, I did a ton of research and I know pretty much where it is within about a mile. It's supposed to be haunted!" He started rambling on then about what type of spirit it might be, and whether or not he could communicate with it. Zim pretty much tuned him out at that point, starting off towards the city limits without him. Dib caught up with him quickly and they bickered casually as they made their way out of civilization and into the marshlands below the mountains.
It was well past sunset by the time they reached the edge of the marshes, and Dib continued to march forward. Zim hesitated for a moment, glancing warily at the bog; but the human seemed to know what he was doing, so he followed in his foots steps to avoid getting wet. Of course that damaged his over-inflated ego.
"Human! How long until we reach this shack? Tell me!" Dib ignored him for the most part as he continued to ramble. He knew Zim well enough by now to know that he was just talking to try and save face. He frowned as a thick fog rolled in off the hills, blocking all view after about 5 feet. Not point in taking out the flashlight; it would only reflect off the mist. He kept up his guard and pressed on.
Zim on the other hand was nervous. Even his superior eyes couldn't cut through the dense murkiness that surrounded them, and there was water everywhere he turned. The human seemed to not be affected at all, which frustrated him to no end.
Something caught his attention then; a bobbing light out in the mist. The alien gave a small hiccup as he turned to move towards it, entranced.
"No!"
Dib's short cry fell on deaf senses as Zim tumbled head-long into the deep pool, only having time for a quick gasp before sinking beneath the surface. He flailed about, trying to get back to the air above, but the marsh weeds twisted around his kicking legs, holding him fast. Panic was starting to set in when a pair of arms wound their way around his waist, dragging him upwards through the inky blackness. One released its grip and a silver knife flashed past him, slicing through the plants like butter. As Zim was pulled upwards he saw the vines cringe away, as though in pain...
The two flung themselves back onto solid ground, both gasping for air. The moment he caught his breath Dib was yelling at Zim, gesturing wildly.
"What the hell were you thinking!? You don't follow lights in foggy swamps, don't you know anything!? You could have died! I warned you about will-o-wisps!" The alien growled and got to his feet shakily.
"No you didn't stink-beast! What's a willow-whip!? You didn't tell me anything!" He was right up in Dib's face and the human took on a look of surprise.
"I didn't?" He backed off, looking sheepish.
"I meant to! Sorry!"
"You didn't and I almost died!"
"I said I was sorry! I just got distracted!
"And almost killed me!"
They were face to face again, glaring and close to exchanging blows, chests heaving angrily. Zim loved the fighting between them, it was exhilarating; but now wasn't the time for it. Dib took a step back and sighed and the alien followed suit, slightly disappointed. The fog rolled around them in the dark as they stood awkwardly under the moon.
"Look..." Dib started, "That was pretty scary, so if you wanna go back you can." He shuffled his feet, feeling kind of stupid for bringing Zim with him in the first place.
"ZIM WAS NOT AFRAID! WE GO ON!" and then he was marching onwards past the human towards the mountain. Dib chuckled and brushed by him when he almost stepped back into the bog, leading the way once again. The incident wasn't spoken of again, though they passed many more floating lights before starting uphill and leaving the marsh behind.
The trek up the mountain was harsh and tiring, but went without any other major situations occurring. The sky was blocked from view by the thick canopy of the trees, moonlight barely filtering down to the mossy floor below. The air was heavy and thick with the sweet sent that was woodlands at night. Dib pulled out the flashlight then, aiming it in front of their feet to avoid tripping on rocks or winding roots. There was a path leading upwards, though it was really nothing more than a deer trail, and the two spent much of their energy ducking branches and pushing their way through thick brush.
They walked in silence for hours. Zim started grumbling irately under his breath; cursing Dib, mountains, and the whole stinking planet. Dib studiously ignored him- he wasn't forcing the alien to come with him, though he was secretly glad for the company, as pouty as it might be. Zim noticed the change first, antennae perking up under his wig at the sound of echoes that could only be caused by a large open space.
The path opened into a wide clearing, and while there were few trees that grew past the edges of the forest, it was littered with over-grown weeds and tall grass. Hidden under the deep flora were the remains of a cobblestone path, broken and half buried by years of weather and neglect that lead to the decrepit cabin in the center of the growth. The building looked to be crumbling before their eyes, and yet it still stood, despite its obvious age. What light the moon could provide cast eerie shadows across the deteriorating wooden siding; shadows that danced over shattered glass panes, creating the appearance of movement inside.
Zim bustled ahead towards the entrance while Dib stood for a moment in awe and excited apprehension. He was shaken from his stupor when the alien threw open the door and strode inside.
"Hey! Wait for me you jerk!" He hurried after his companion, skidding into the two-room hovel to come to a stop beside the other. He stood stalk still, heart pounding in his ears in excitement. Zim glanced around, a bit curious about the living conditions of the older days of the species he'd been saddled to.
The inside wasn't much better than the out. The faded decorative paper was peeling off the cracked walls, and the musty air was clouded with dust stirred up by their feet. The grime was so thick they left tracks on the worn floor boards as they moved about the room. The fireplace was in ruin, nothing more than a pile of crumbled brick, coated in soot. By the window was a small bed, half rotted and made up with plain stained covers. The off-white sheets stood out in the darkness of the rest of the building. Dib reached out and brushed a thick layer of dust off the spines of a collection of books meticulously organized on age-blackened shelves.
At that moment the door slammed shut behind them, causing them to jump and unconsciously move closer to each other; and the center of the room. An icy chill rose from the ground below, circling around them and sending shivers across their skin. All around them locks clicked shut, trapping them inside and the human sudden realized just how dangerous this might have been. He grabbed for his bag, struggling with the zipper while Zim hissed at him over his shoulder, trepidation saturating his voice.
"Dib-stink, what's happening!? Why are the exits locking on their own!? Old human tech shouldn't be able to do that! And why is it cold!? DIB ANSWER ZIIIIIM!" Dib never got a chance to reply as his bag was knocked out of his grasp by a book flying off one of the shelves. A freezing wind suddenly gusted through the enclosed space, picking up dirt and debris and throwing it in their faces, partially blinding them while a disembodied voice whispered hauntingly in the frosty air. The voice got louder, but no more clear than before as the rest of the books took off, along with maps off the walls and knick-knacks from all over, dancing around them, picking up speed. Panic was starting to set into the two rivals. The voice increased and doubled itself into an echoing wordless cry that howled about in the frozen wind that whipped through the room like a hurricane, swirling around the them like a tornado of ice and wicked projectiles. They were both yelling. When the human noticed an opening, he didn't even stop to think before shoving Zim as hard as he could, sending the alien flying out of the calamity and crashing through the rotten door to safety just as a soft pink glow began to shine up from between the floorboards. From outside Zim heard Dib scream as the event came to a climax; the light became a brilliant glare that blinded the alien, and then he knew no more.