"Alright class, because the government can't justify keeping you all locked in this dreary classroom EVERY day, the board has organised a field trip. You won't be needing any permission slips because let's face it, I couldn't care less about your safety. Everyone line up in single file and get ready to board the bus."
Zim tilted his head a little, looking confused and slightly annoyed at their rather creepy looking teacher.
"We have to go and visit a field? That seems like a waste of time, fields are very empty and boring, aren't they?"
Dib stuck his hand up in the air, looking just as skeptical.
"For once I'm with Zim, wouldn't our time be better spent here, I don't know actually learning something?"
The teacher turned her demonic glare on Dib, almost seeming to snake across the room to him.
"Perhaps, but it's mandatory, so suck it up. Single file!"
The class hurried to get into a straight line, none too eager to displease their frightening care taker. Zim placed himself behind Dib, glaring daggers at him as he reached into his Skool-bag, half pulling out a small gun-like weapon just enough for Dib to see before dropping it back in. Dib, seeming to be less than shocked by Zim's subtle threat, reached into his pocket to pull out a small black device with two short prongs. Zim chuckled.
"That is tiny, do you really think that can hurt me!"
Dib raised an eyebrow, flicking a small switch on it for just a second, long enough for a quick blue spark to flash between the prongs.
"That depends, Zim. Can aliens withstand 50,000 volts?"
Zim eyed the device with a wary look before backing off a step to let Dib board the bus first. He wasn't too keen on the look of Dib's weapon, perhaps today was a day to keep away from the stupid paranormal investigating boy. He sat on the opposite side of the bus to keep clear of Dib, pulling out a small communications device.
"Gir, come in Gir!"
A giggle from the device indicated that his faithful, if silly, servant was listening, even if he was trying to play a game of hide and seek via the comm.
"Gir, stop messing around. I need you to search the database for any human weapons that emit a blueish light. And don't get distracted!"
The comm link went silent for a few moments before Gir's high pitched voice was heard.
"Okie dokie! Ooh what's Eeeebay!"
Zim sighed in annoyance, turning off the comm link for the moment, not expecting an answer any time soon. He looked up when the bus stopped, Ms. Bitters standing at the front of the bus.
"Okay class, because we can't afford to lose too many of you today you will be partnered up with someone else. If you leave them alone there will be severe punishments!"
Dib put up his hand, looking less than impressed at the idea of being attached to someone the whole day.
"How severe exactly?"
Ms. Bitters glared at Dib again, a little briefer than before.
"Severe enough. Dib, you can be partnered with Zim, since you two seem to get along so well."
Dib opened his mouth to argue, quickly shutting it when he was met with a terrifying stare from his teacher, turning to scowl at Zim before following the other children off the bus as they were paired on their way out.
"Zim, if you get in my way or dare to do anything evil, I'll stop you! You hear me! I'll..."
Dib trailed off as he stepped off the bus, a grin spreading across his face when he noticed where they'd been taken for their skool trip. Infront of the bus was a large lake, a few rivers flowing to and from it. Less than a few meters away stood a rickety looking shack with a few canoe and rowing boat displays pinned along the side of it. Zim stared at the vast mass of water, feeling his antenna droop beneath his wig. Ms. Bitters pointed the children to the shack.
"Everyone take an oar, one boat per couple, don't push and make sure you're back at the bus before three."
Dib rushed to pick out an oar and one of the slightly safer looking rowing boats. Zim edged over, looking a lot less eager as he picked out an oar. Dib climbed into the boat, leering at Zim triumphantly.
"What's wrong, Zim? Normal humans enjoy going on a boat trip."
Zim tensed a bit, straightening his back in an effort to look taller, clutching the oar as he climbed into the boat with a stiff but determined expression.
"There! See! I am normal, perfectly normal human!"
Dib used his oar to push the boat out into the water, feeling a wave of pride in himself when Zim almost lost balance and sat down quickly to stop himself crying out in shock. Dib quickly maneuvered their wooden boat away from the rest of their class, who were bumping into each other and struggling to get much further than the poorly built pier. Once they were far enough away from the group to not be overheard or seen Dib stopped rowing, letting the boat drift aimlessly in the water, grinning innocently at Zim.
"How does it feel, Zim? Being surrounded by a substance that burns you?"
Dib dipped his hand in the lake, lifting it to flick water at Zim. The alien flinched, biting back a short hiss as it sizzled against his skin, refusing to give Dib the satisfaction.
"Pft, I am not afraid of a little water! Foolish Dib-worm, it is you who should be on edge!"
Dib put a hand on the edge of the boat, leaning on it to make the boat tip a bit.
"Oh really? Let's see about that!"
Zim froze as the boat wobbled, one edge dipping closer to the water. He stood up to try and right it again.
"Stop that!"
Dib grinned more, suddenly changing to lean against the other side of the boat, Zim's weight on it making it dip even more, a bit of water splashing in over the edge. Zim panicked, his PAK extending it's spindly limbs to clutch at the boat in an attempt to stay balanced, lifting Zim a few feet off the wooden surface. Dib backed away a bit as Zim swayed closer to him, looking furious, if a bit frightened.
"I said stop that! I should just kill you right here and now!"
Zim reached into his bag to retrieve his own weapon. Dib took the chance to rock the boat once more in a sudden jolt, throwing Zim off balance completely. The metal limbs crumpled under their owner and retreating into the PAK as Zim was sent flying, landing with a loud thud on the edge of the boat before toppling unconscious into the dark water. Dib sat in the boat for a few moments, eyes wide as he took in what had just happened, waiting for Zim to resurface screaming.
After a full minute of waiting, it dawned on Dib that maybe Zim wasn't going to come back up, maybe he really was going to die down there. Dib peered over the edge of the boat, taking off his skool-bag. He couldn't let Zim just sink into oblivion. Someone else might find him. Or everyone would keep thinking Dib was insane. Or he might just lose the only one who had given him a reason to strive to be better every day. With a deep breath, Dib flung himself into the cold water, kicking hard to swim deeper, struggling to see the deeper he went. Luckily for him it only took a few moments to spot the bubbles rising, Zim's body burning visibly in the surrounding water. Dib wasted no time in grabbing the alien by the neck, dragging them both up to the boat as fast as he could manage. He gasped for air the moment he broke the surface, struggling to pull them both back into the boat, water dripping into his eyes when they both flopped onto the damp wood. He pushed himself to his knees, inspecting Zim with more concern than he was willing to admit, avoiding touching the raw burns that covered the alien.
"Zim...? Come on... This isn't funny..."
He felt his heart drop into his stomach when Zim remained as he was, eyes closed and laying limply in the boat. The small alien seemed to look even smaller to Dib, his green skin pale where it hadn't been singed. Dib hesitated for a moment before remembering back to the pitiful excuse of a health class that the children had received. He pressed his hands against Zim's chest, straightening his arms and leaning into sharp presses, getting more frustrated when nothing seemed to be happening. He gave a groan of annoyance, repeating the CPR they'd been taught, cringing as he leaned over Zim, tilting his head back and pressing their lips together to force a breath of air into him before hurriedly wiping his mouth and returning to compressions. Dib perked up for a split second when he heard a sound coming from Zim, his excitement fading quickly when he recognised the voice as Zim's robotic servant.
"Everything sounds bubbly! Oooh, I found a pig! Aww...wait... I didn't win it... AW!"
Dib leaned over Zim, grabbing the comm link and pressing the buttons.
"Hello? Can you read me?"
"Whaaaa, you're not a book!"
Dib would have thrown the comm link in the lake if the situation had been less serious.
"Just listen for once! Zim's hurt, bad! I need you to tell me CPR for his species!"
Dib kept the comm link close for a moment before hearing Gir erupt into panicked hyperventilating and screaming at the news. He groaned in exasperation, muting the comm link as he went back to looking Zim over.
"Ugh, your stupid anatomy! You don't have human lungs... Are your lungs the same or...?"
Dib pulled Zim roughly into the recovery position, eyes widening as they fell on Zim's PAK. He reached into his bag, pulling out the handheld taser, biting his lip as he considered the idea.
"...I mean... It's not the /worst/ idea ever... It might work..."
He tensed, hesitating for just a moment before turning on the taser, pressing it hard against Zim's PAK, gritting his teeth as the water in the boat conducted the charge, sending volts of electricity flooding through the both of them. A bright spark jumped between the two of them, smoke busting out of the taser as it short circuited. Dib dropped the small device as soon as his muscles let him, panting in pain. Zim's PAK gave an odd whir, rebooting and sending an overflow of pain receptors to Zim. The little invader's eyes shot open, gasping for breath a few times before erupting into harsh coughing, doubling over as he tried to get gravity to help pull the water from his throat. Dib weakly patted Zim's back to help him a little, still in quite a bit of shock that he'd managed to bring Zim back at all.
The two of them remained as they were for a good ten minutes, Zim shaking and wincing every few seconds, trying to clear out his mouth, Dib just rubbing his back gently. Eventually Zim's ruby eyes focused on the human, wide in complete bewilderment.
"Did you...did you just...?"
Dib glanced away from Zim for a moment, frowning to himself.
"Well... Obviously... I couldn't have you sat at the bottom of a lake for some diver to discover and take the credit..."
Zim didn't look convinced but didn't press the issue, pushing himself to his feet slowly to try and sit back down properly, swaying slightly. Dib rolled his eyes and grabbed Zim's wrist, pulling him back down to sit on Dib's seat next to him, putting an arm around Zim to keep him still.
"Stop moving, you moron, or we'll both end up back in the water..."
Zim huffed, trying to look offended but found himself just leaning into the warmth Dib provided, trying to dry off more so his skin would stop blistering. Dib picked up an oar, rowing halfheartedly, just enough to get them drifting in the direction of the pier, quite content to give them both time to recover and silently agree to never talk about this again. Tomorrow they'd be back to insulting each other and fighting like cats and dogs. Dib glanced at Zim's weakened form, frowning to himself. Maybe the day after tomorrow then. Or next week. When Zim was feeling up to it.