Disclaimer: I don't own IZ. Yay! It's a second fic! I feel all happy that I did another one. Either way, this is more "serious" in a way, plot-wise. This was going to be a Zim is hurt by water badly and Dib helps him story, but i changed it. I think this is better, yes? I've noticed that I write half seriousd, half horrible. Though, I'm sure some of you like/will like my weird style…..I hope…

Chapter 1

It was a cloudy day outside, and the sun had just begun to set. But inside, Dib was just considering going out. It was the middle of summer, making the weather hot, naturally. Yet, he still wore his trademark trenchcoat.

He wandered from the couch to the door, hesitating a moment before going outside. He stood out from everyone else. Wearing black pants, a blue shirt, and a trenchcoat is not common in the middle of July, but Dib didn't care.

Today was a cooler summer day, a refreshing breeze blowing. There were other kids outside, some swimming, some riding bikes and skate-boards, and others were playing in the sprinklers with a Slip n' Slide. The sounds of children tying to use up the last few minutes of daylight filled Dib's ears as he started to walk. There was no destination for the boy; he just wanted to do something besides play online.

'So bored…must…revive…mind…" Dib though.

He continued on, walking past the edge of the neighborhood. There was an empty field that no one really used. Dib would go there when he wanted to be alone fully. He would think about things there. Like how the past week in school was quiet because a certain green boy went missing.

Dib went to Zim's house the day he was not there, planning to stop his plan. He was shocked to see the glowing green house gone. But Zim had seemed to forget a certain robot, which could've been on purpose. Gir had started living mainly in Dib's house, but he would disappear for hours.

This would be the second week without Zim around. Dib had lapsed into being a "normal student," which scared some of his classmates. He had no need to continue his paranormal search while in Skool. But at home, he still did.

"Dib!" A familiar voice called weakly.

Dib stopped, looking around for the source of the voice. He was almost knocked over as a figure tackled him. Dib grabbed the figure and roughly threw it off of him.

"Zim." Dib snarled, clenching his hands into fists and glaring at him. "Where were you? Planning against me again?"

Zim had caught himself from falling and was currently half-kneeling on the ground. His figure was silhouetted, making it hard to make out details. "None of your business." He almost whispered.

"You're not going to tell me, huh?" Dib snapped.

A cold wind blew, causing Zim to shiver violently. Dib stared at him, head tilted to one side, his look softening. Zim pulled into himself as he shook, antennae quivering. Dib looked at Zim, trying to see through the dark. The most he could make out was that Zim was not in his disguise.

Dib flinched. "Zim?"

Zim cringed. "What?" He snarled, his voice stressed.

"You're not in your disguise. Don't you care that people could find out what you are?" He stepped closer to Zim, trying to see why the alien had not gotten up yet.

"Leave me alone, Human." There was a hint of pain in his voice.

Dib had gotten close enough to tell why Zim hadn't moved, and it shocked him. He suddenly looked concerned as he noticed Zim's true condition.

The green boy was bleeding, his blood a color similar to a humans. There were miscellaneous cuts covering him, some seeming to be life threatening. The uniform he wore was shredded and blood soaked. He was shaking, and even though his head was down, Dib could see an expression of pain on his face. Zim's skin looked to be pale, and it was marked with bruises. That confused Dib; he thought that aliens couldn't go pale like humans could.

The sky darkened, and Dib felt something wet hit his face. Looking up, his glasses were hit with a few more drops of rain. A sharp hiss brought his attention back to the boy beside him.

"Zim?" Dib said, his voice quiet.

The boy in question gritted his teeth. "What do you want, Dib-stink?" Zim growled.

"Do you need help?" It was an innocent question.

Zim pushed himself up. "Zim needs no help, human!" Zim yelled, his voice hoarse. He managed to take a few steps before collapsing to the ground again. "I don't need your help."

Zim hissed as more drops hit his skin, burning it. Water was acid to him, and he was quickly overtaken in a haze of pain as the rain fell faster. The pain was the equivalent to having boiling hot water spray you. Zim closed his eyes tight, trying to hold together, not giving into the pain. The pain increased as more rain hit him, pushing him to the breaking point.

The water stopped hitting Zim suddenly, and he dared to look up.

Dib stood there, holding the right side of his coat out over him, forming a shield against the rain. Zim looked at him, confused, and he shook lightly.

"Its okay, Zim." Dib smiled slightly.

Zim looked away, at the same time cradling his left arm in his lap. "Don't waste your time helping me, Dib-stink. I'm not worth it."

"Why? What happened?"

"No." Zim coughed, leaning over his knees, gagging a few times before finally throwing up.

Dib's eyes widened as he saw the reddish color stain the grass. He knelt down, wrapping his coat around the shuddering boy, holding him close. Zim leaned against Dib, not caring if he was openly letting a weakness show.

Without thinking, Dib stood, picking up Zim in the process. Zim pulled the loose piece of coat around him as best he could, burring his face under the part that covered Dib's shoulder. When Dib saw that Zim was not going to fight him, he started to run back to his house. His basement held a small infirmary, which he could use.

Dib paused for a moment, once reaching his house, to open the door. No one was home, and Dib wasted no time making his way to the basement. He quickly made his way into the infirmary and laid Zim on the cot. Looking the boy over, Dib noticed most of his injuries were on his torso and arms.

"You're not going to like this, but you'll have to take your…shirt off." Dib said, grabbing nearby medical supplies.

To his surprise, Zim didn't argue with him.

Dib stood next to the cot, deciding to treat the wounds on his abdomen first. After warning Zim what he was going to do, Dib started to stitch the large gash on his right side closed. Dib didn't bother to do a professional job, he just wanted to get the wound sealed for the most part. After loosely stitching others, Dib wrapped Zim's middle in gauze bandages.

A few patches over minor cuts left Zim's arms and face left to be covered. His right arm was not bad, and the few cuts were wrapped. Dib grabbed Zim's left arm, which resulted in a pained whimper from the Irken. Letting his arm go, Dib patched the cuts on Zims face. Zim held his left arm limply in his lap, as if to protect it.

"Zim, I need to see your arm." Dib whispered, holding his hand out.

"You won't be able to fix it." Zim muttered, antennae lowering back against his skull. "It's broken."

Dib flinched before grabbing something out of a med-kit. "Let me see. If anything, putting it in a splint could help."

Zim obeyed, letting out a weak hiss in pain as Dib worked. This was so degrading for Zim, though he did not seem to care. Something bad had happened in his absence, Dib could tell, and it wasn't just the injuries. Dib sat next to Zim on the cot, looking him over as he laid back down.

"You want to tell me what happened?" Dib asked, trying to sound as calm and caring as he could.

Zim looked away, sighing. "I…it started when I went to see my Tallest. They called me to their ship, the Massive…so I rushed there. They…didn't want me alive anymore. I was…tortured with pain. I was cut, shocked, and beaten by them." He shuddered, closing his eyes tightly. "I escaped…and that's when I met up with you."

Dib gasped quietly, and Zim was almost immediately wrapped in a light hug. Zim's eyes shot open, and he looked back at the boy hugging him. A light blush formed on his face as he leaned his head against the others, a single red tear running down his cheek.

"I'm sorry." Dib whispered.

Zim hugged the boy back the best he could, burying his face in Dib's neck. He let out a quiet whimper and let himself cry. He cried for all of the pain he was in, all the pain that was caused to him, and the abandonment he felt.

Dib held the sobbing boy close, comforting him. He sat back up, pulling the Irken partially into his lap. "It's okay now, Zim."

Zim grasped the back of Dib's shirt in his good hand, nuzzling farther into the boys neck. His grip tightened as his body convulsed, though the movement was lessened by Dib's presence there. He coughed, a small amount of blood spraying Dib's shirt. The convulsions ceased, leaving Zim clinging to the boy next to him, a small line of blood running from his mouth.

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End of Chapter 1

Note: Yeah, yeah. Its rushed, right? Sorry. R&R