AN: The second story to get edited in my editorial phase. This is my own take on the "Zim gets captured" plot, which was inspired by the song, "When It Comes" by Incubus. They are still my favorite band, no matter how much my fiancé doesn't like them. I removed the lyrics from the piece, in hopes to make the story flow better.

Warnings: Angsty, a little dark, but most of my fanfics are that way.

When It Comes

Zim opened his eyes. All he could see was the black darkness before him. He had grown to hate this darkness, though it was something he had once liked because it could hide him from the humans. Now it only meant loneliness, emptiness, and pain.

He waited for his eyes to adjust. Instinctively, he waited for whichever scientist to come. He knew it was Wednesday. It always seemed darker in his dank cell when it was Wednesday. The day they always did tests on him, trying to see exactly how he worked. The autopsy was soon to come. He could sense it.

His head snapped up as a scientist (one he did not recognize from the part weeks) opened up the cell. Zim studied the being out of the corner of his eye. There was something familiar about this one--something Zim could not pinpoint. And since it was still dark in his cell, Zim couldn't see much of the scientist.

"C'mon Zim, it's time to go," the scientist stated, speaking slowly to Zim as if he were a small child.

Zim did not move from his spot. Nobody called him "Zim" anymore unless they had known him before he was discovered. But that was not why he didn't move; it was the voice. He recognized that voice. It was the one voice Zim had not wanted, nor expected, to hear, because the "scientist" had nothing to do with his capture, not matter how much Zim told himself that the "scientist" did.

"Zim, get your ass off the floor. My colleagues will be nicer to you if you just come along without a problem."

Zim scoffed, and spoke his first words in months. "Stop trying to act nice, Dib. I know you are enjoying this, so act like it."

Zim got off of the floor and walked over to Dib. He kept his mouth shut, but as he walked past Dib, he turned his eyes over to him and fixed him with his best death glare. He had been told that they would be nicer if he came willingly time after time, and not once did those scientists mean it.

Zim let the tests go by him without a thought. He realized if he thought about everything happening to him, it was worse. Thinking only made the pain intensify and very real. Though, it never stopped him from remembering everything else. All his bad memories came back to him, all of his doubts, as soon as he was in that room, being tortured willingly.

Though, no matter what he made himself think, he told himself never to cry. No matter what they did to him, how much pain they put him through, he wouldn't give them the satisfaction of seeing him break down into tears. And now that the Dib-human was there, watching the tests for the first time, he couldn't show weakness. He couldn't let Dib see his pain; he wouldn't let Dib have the satisfaction of seeing that.

They were trying to get him to answer some questions about his race as they did tests on him. Telling him that they would put the machine to its lowest setting if he answered. They asked him about what he had wanted most. As usual, instead of shouting curses at the humans, Zim remained quiet. Zim briefly wondered why Dib wasn't enjoying this, why he wasn't laughing at the alien, mocking Zim while he experienced the worst pains over and over. Zim squeezed his fiery eyes shut and wished that they would just leave him alone.

"We'll let you free, alien, if you answer us this week," a scientist bargained.

"He won't tell you anything. Zim is too smart," Dib called out. "He knows when humans lie to him."

Zim glared at Dib. "Silence! Don't tell them anymore of—" the machine suddenly sparked to life. Zim bit his lower lip hard enough to cause it to bleed. Zim willed himself not to cry out in pain. Especially since Dib was there, watching his reactions.

"Stop it!" Dib shouted. "Hurting him won't cause you to get answers from him!"

"Who made you in charge of what happens today?" another scientist asked.

Zim felt the machine pick up again. At least they weren't planning on opening him up today. They had done that at first—but now, with all the tests as well, if they autopsied him, he'd die on the table. Zim shook his head and forced himself not to think of that. But, he knew that was what he wanted. He didn't want to go through with this every week.

Zim blocked out the noises of the machine and the scientists' voices. He could never imagine that some humans would do something so horrible. He always figured he'd be placed on some table, but never thought he'd be tortured like this. All he wanted was for it to end, and that was something that could not be bargained to him. He would get it on his own.

Freedom or Death. He didn't care which came first—he just wished that one or the other would happen. Zim opened his eyes and looked over at Dib. The human wasn't looking at him. In fact, Dib was looking away, his own eyes closed, as if he was trying to get away from what was going on. Zim closed his eyes again and rested when the machine stopped. His body wasn't going to take much more of this.

"Dib, take it back to its cell, then go. Your father should be here shortly," the head scientist ordered.

Zim was still breathing heavily when Dib approached him and silently undid Zim's restraints. "Why…why didn't you join in on torturing me?" Zim asked as he sat up weakly, surprised that he was still alive, then angry with the scientists for not finishing him off.

Dib glanced down at the ground. "I didn't stop them, did I?" he asked softly.

Zim glared at Dib just as his vision began to swim. "I wish they would just kill me and get it over with," Zim mumbled as he tried to stand on his own. It was no use. His legs just weren't strong enough to hold him.

"You can't stand up, can you?" Dib asked with a sigh. "I could carry you, but since you hate me so much, you probably wouldn't let me. I should just leave you here," Dib stated sighing, "then again, Dad would kill me if I did."

"You are enjoying every moment of this, admit it," Zim hissed suddenly.

"How could I enjoy it? Those people…they don't understand that you're a feeling creature," Dib said softly. "And Zim, I had nothing to do with these…devices they do your tests with."

Zim just glared at Dib. "Why are you here?" he hissed, standing up on his own again, then falling onto Dib. Dib barely caught Zim on time. Zim wasn't supposed to be this weak—not in front of his enemy!

"My father made me come here," Dib replied as he lifted Zim off of the ground. Zim wasn't supposed to be so light, either. "Are they feeding you?" Dib found himself asking as he carried Zim.

"Of course not. They don't know what I need to eat. They don't even know that water would kill me," Zim replied in a tired voice.

"I'll let them know, then. They should be treating you better. This is inhuman, the way the treat you," Dib mumbled as he punched in the code to a different hall. "I can't believe I had wished to see you in such a place….

"There's no use in asking for forgiveness, Zim, I know that, but I'm going to say I'm sorry, anyway."

"Let me go," Zim ordered.

"What? No! You can't even stand on your own, Zim!"

"Let. Me. Go."

Dib sighed and placed the alien, who was now shorter than him, down on the ground. He was shocked to see that Zim glaring up at him. "That's a lie and you know it, stinkbeast! You aren't sorry! You can't be sorry! You got what you've wanted since the moment you met me! I will not sit there and listen to this! I'm so full of the lies, Dib, that I almost believed you!" Zim shouted, spending whatever little energy he had regained.

Dib looked down at the ground in order to avoid Zim's eyes. Suddenly, a familiar rage built up inside of him. "I can't be sorry? Who made you in charge of my emotions! Zim, I never thought that my fellow human beings would be so cruel, and I'm sorry for not realizing it sooner! I never asked to see you nearly get killed. I wanted to observe the scientists to see what they do," Dib explained. "How can I prove this to you?"

"Do whatever you like with me. What I want—what I need—can't be given to me. So, there is nothing you can do to make me believe you," Zim explained, leaning against the wall to keep himself from collapsing. He knew he couldn't stand on his own much longer, but he wasn't going to allow Dib carry him again. That made him feel as if he were a baby—that he was incapable of taking care of himself.

"Freedom or death is what you want, isn't it?" Dib asked suddenly, studying Zim thoughtfully.

"Whichever comes first," Zim replied.

Dib hadn't quite expected a response. He had expected Zim to give him a dirty look, actually. "'Whichever comes first'? Zim, you honestly don't want to die, do you?" Dib asked.

Zim didn't even look over at Dib. He closed his eyes and slid down the wall. Suddenly it was so very hard for him to breathe. The humans must have done something different with the machine…breathing was never a problem in the past….

"Zim, what's wrong?" Dib asked as he knelt down next to his ex-rival. Zim put a hand out to stop Dib from getting any closer to him. Dib never noticed how Zim's hands resembled claws rather than fingers until right then.

"I'll be fine… It's happened before…." Zim lied once he could breathe again. "It's a side-effect," he continued. At least that was the truth.

Dib studied Zim questioningly before trying to pick Zim up again. Zim saw the action and shook his head, managing to get off the ground by himself and take a few uncertain steps.

"They'll end up killing you soon if they continue those tests," Dib mumbled as he began to walk. Zim tried to follow, but he couldn't walk too well unless he was leaning against the wall. "Though, that's what you want, isn't it?" Dib asked.

"It doesn't matter. I just want to be left alone. I'm already dying, Dib, if you hadn't noticed," Zim spat out.

"Is it a result of the tests?"

"It's plain everything, Dib. The food, the tests, the dank place I now call 'home,' and the strain. I'm surprised they haven't killed me yet." Zim walked into his cell and waited for Dib to shut the door on him.

"I'm s—"

"Don't say it, please. I've lived a pretty okay life for an Irken. With how my life is going now, I should be dead in a few days. I don't want to know anyone felt sorry for what they did to me," Zim said as he let himself fall to the ground, somewhat gracefully. "Be gone with you, Dib. You've won."

"Zim, I can't leave you like this. There has to be a way to get you out of here," Dib stated.

"It would be no use. Not even Irken technology can save me now. I just want you to tell your sister that I'm sorry for breaking her GameSlave2, and that I—"

"I know, I know. I'll tell her," Dib said, nodding as he felt his animosity for Zim leave him, once and for all.

"Thank you. Goodbye, Dib," Zim mumbled as he closed his eyes.

Dib replied and walked out of the small room. He didn't know how he was going to tell his sister about Zim's feelings for her. It didn't matter; he was going to have to tell her anyway. Zim asked him to. Dib turned the corner and failed to notice the scientists that were running towards Zim's cell.

"How did it go, Dib?" Gaz asked once Dib walked out of the building. Dib could see his father off to the side, talking to one of his friends.

"Zim…Zim wanted me to tell you that he was sorry for breaking your GS2," Dib said, avoiding her question.

"Well, can I go in there and see him?" Gaz asked.

Dib shook his head. "Zim is very sick, Gaz. He told me himself that he was dying."

"What? No! I have to go see him!" Gaz ordered.

"Gaz. He also told me to tell you one more thing," Dib said with difficulty.

"Wh-What's that?"

"He told me to tell you that he loves you." Dib looked down at the ground. "Gaz, I know you want to see him, but I think he passed away shortly after I left…."

"No! He's…he's…" Gaz saw her brother nod. She kicked at the fence, screaming in frustration and sorrow. "I didn't even get to tell him how I felt…!"

"It's okay, Gaz. He's now away from those scientists. He wanted to die. And with what they were doing to him, I wouldn't blame him," Dib explained, hoping that, somehow, Gaz would understand. "C'mon, let's get home."

Gaz nodded, putting on a hard face to hide her sadness.

The two walked home in silence, both saddened by Zim's death. Though, from what Dib would tell her about what the scientists had done to Zim while he was alive, Gaz was glad that he finally got away. Now Zim could finally be in peace and not have to deal with all that pain. And Dib silently agreed with her. No one deserved what Zim had gone through.