Caught in the Rain
Zim sat under a stairway in an alley as the rain poured hard around him. Zim knew it would rain today, what he did not know was that he was out of the protection-paste that kept him from being burned by the water that was completely hazardous to his Irken skin.
He had already called GIR for help, but he did not answer. Now he had to sit there and wait for the rain to stop so he could safely return to his base, without mass amounts of burns.
This is demeaning. Zim thought to himself. A single drop of rain fell from the stairway onto Zim's hand, he shrieked in horror and pain as his hand quickly sizzled and burned.
"Who's there?" A girl's voice asked. A familiar voice. Zim looked up, a young human-meat-bag came closer from across the street, she carried a rain-shield in her hand. As she came closer Zim saw a familiar shade of purple hair, and black clothes.
"Zim?" She asked.
"Shoo Dib-sister." Zim muttered, annoyed that anyone could see him in so vulnerable. Especially her. The sibling of his rival Dib, who had pestered Zim since the first day he arrived on Earth.
"You okay?" She asked, still here.
"I am perfectly fine. I'm just resting myself before returning home as I normally do." Another rain drop fell onto Zim's hand and he fought not to yell as it burned him again.
"You want to use my umbrella?"
"No!" Zim snapped. "An invader needs help from no... helper!" Then thunder cracked from someplace nearby and Zim nearly jumped out of his skin, quickly regaining his proud composer.
Gaz stood there watching him wince every once in awhile from falling drops of water, staying stubbornly proud. Gaz sighed and moved her umbrella over Zim. Zim looked up and scowled at the acid-rain shield, then at Gaz who had already been soaked to the bone from the rain that could now freely drench her.
"Come on. I'll take you home." Gaz said, getting annoyed by the alien's stubbornness. Zim continued to glare for a moment before slowing rising off the concrete.
"I'm only accompanying you because I have better things to do than burn in your falling Earth-water."
"The rain?" Gaz teased. Zim started walking when his whole foot sank in a puddle. He shrieked in pain, the spider legs in his PAK shot out to hold him up and away from the pooling rain. Gaz snickered under her breath.
"You dare mock me?" Zim yelled at Gaz as wisps of smoke raised off his foot.
"It was kinda funny." Gaz said with humor I'm her voice.
"How dare you! Have you the BRAIN WORMS? I AM ZIM! You dare mock the mighty ZIM?!" As Zim ranted Gaz began to walk away, carrying her umbrella with her, leaving Zim in the rain.
It burned.
Zim quickly dove under the rain-liquid shield, smoking rising from his whole body. It seemed wise to be quiet as the Gaz-beast had the only means of protection and safe passage home.
They walked silently, Zim turned to glare suspiciously at the dark girl once in awhile. A single question kept popping up in his mind.
"Why are you helping me?" Zim finally asked.
"I'm not just going to let you sit in the rain. The storm is supposed to last until tomorrow morning."
"Where is your Dib-sibling?"
"Dib rode the bus home."
"Why didn't you?"
"I hate people." Gaz said.
"Yes. You humans are difficult to enjoy." Zim muttered. "But you are human yourself. You hate your own race?"
"Yea." Gaz said nonchalantly. Zim was surprised. The Gaz kept to herself at all times, with only her Dib-stink to accompany her in anything. But he didn't think she actually hated her own species.
"I suppose we have a common hatred then." Zim smirked.
"Yea. Two actually."
"Two common hatreds?" Zim asked, intrigued.
"Dib." Gaz said simply.
"You hate the Dib-monkey as well?"
Screw Dib. Gaz thought. They had had a fight this morning. Which wasn't uncommon anymore these days. What with all his rants about stopping Zim, and how Zim was so horrible, and that he was the only one to save Earth and that she should be grateful that he'd put Zim on an autopsy table someday. Zim this and Zim that. It was annoying.
"Yea." Gaz said. She hadn't been saying much but this had already become more awkward than she thought it would be.
"It seems you're not as stupid as I thought."
"Oh wow. Thank you." Gaz sneered sarcastically.
"You are welcome." Zim said, oblivious.
They continued walking for a short time. Zim had been spastically looking at the rain, and flinching when thunder roared and lightning lit up the dark sky. Then his eyes settled on Gaz. She had on her usual black attire with the skull pendant. The only color she had on was her purple leggings and drenched purple hair that stuck to her grim face and shoulders, even the liquid shield was black.
Gaz looked over at Zim, who quickly looked away.
Even after spending a year on Earth he still hadn't changed his obvious disguise. His contacts and stiff wig looked ridiculous, but for some reason it worked on everyone he came across. It was amazing nobody noticed anything strange from him, especially when he used his metal legs coming from his backpack-thing so often in public. You could hear the quiet tapping on the concrete from the metal spider legs, splashing in puddles every once in awhile.
"Speaking of the human race. How are your plans on destroying it coming?" Gaz asked, smirking.
"You mock me again?" Zim glared at Gaz.
"No. I'm serious. How are things?" Gaz looked at Zim sincerely, opening her eyes slightly. Zim's glare disappeared and he looked away.
"I'm working on it." He said quickly. He hadn't come up with a competent plan in months. His brilliance hadn't been sparked with an ingenious idea.
"Does that mean you're giving up?"
"No." He looked back at her. "I will rule you all. Just… later." Gaz snickered, imagining what kind of king Zim would be. Sitting in an oversized throne with his green dog-robot at his side, his little feet dangling off the side, not touching the floor. Gaz laughed and Zim raised an eyebrow at her.
"What's so funny?" He challenged.
"Nothing."
They were coming up on his street, his ridiculous green and purple house was barely visible in the rain. Gaz followed Zim all the way to the door. He opened the door and stepped inside, looking back at Gaz.
"I suppose I should thank you for your service in returning me home." He said giving a nod.
"No problem." Gaz turned to leave.
"You're going back out there? You're already soaked!" Zim pointed out.
"Well, yeah what else am I going to do?" She turned around, looking back at Zim.
"You'll catch the deadly human-sicky-germs. Come. As a reward for your service." Zim stood by the door, allowing Gaz to come in. She stood at the doorway.
"I insist." He pressed. Gaz sighed and walked in, folding her umbrella back up. Zim closed the door behind her. A puddle was already forming around her as water dripped off her hair and clothes. Zim carefully maneuvered around the puddle and into his living room.
"Of course, your brother-unit will not be informed of this. Or anyone else."
"Yea sure I won't tell Dib." She walked over and sat up on the couch, trailing some water with her. She pulled out her GameSlave2 from her backpack and began playing.
"What is that device anyway?" Zim asked scooting closer to look at the screen. It appeared the Gaz-human controlled another human inside the device, and forced him to destroy flying monster piggies that attack him.
"It's called a GameSlave. You play video games on it."
"And what is the purpose of these 'video games'." He asked, still watching over her shoulder.
"I don't know. They're fun." Gaz approached the boss level as Zim watched, asking random questions about the character's blood lust for piggy flesh, how she progressed through the game, and how she could so easily control the little human. Shouting insults at the piggies or warning her about piggies attacks.
"NO GAZ-BEAST! THE PIGGIES ARE BEHIND YOU!"
"I know. I got 'em." She easily evaded the piggies' sneak attack and destroyed them. Having played the game many times before, she learned their attack patterns by heart and had no need to even look at the game in order to win. Zim was impressed.
"You are very good at slaying monster pig-beasts."
"Thanks. How long did you want me to stay?"
"Until the storm passes." He said, still watching intently.
"That might take all night." She said, pausing her game. Zim looked outside and flinched when lightning flashed, followed by thunder.
"Well I suppose if you want to leave I can return the favor in bringing you home as well. We can take the Voot runner." Zim hopped off the couch.
"Thanks." She said, slipping her GameSlave2 in her pocket. Zim stood up on his toilet in the kitchen and motioned for Gaz to join him.
"You're kidding." Gaz glared at him.
"If you want to go home." Zim sneered, holding out his little three fingered hand. Gaz sighed, took his hand and stood up with him.
"Computer. Take us to the Voot." Zim said. The toilet's floor caved and became an elevator going down. It was a tight squeeze for the both of them so they had to stand close. Gaz blushed and avoided looking at Zim directly. Zim looked down at her and raised an eyebrow.
Her face is getting pink. He thought curiously. Then the elevator snapped sideways, and up in a few short seconds, causing the two to be thrown into each other. Gaz was up against the wall face to face with Zim who had fallen against her with his hands on the wall around Gaz, her blush deepened and Zim's antennae twitched. He righted himself quickly, his own face changing color in embarrassment. He cleared his throat and looked away from her, avoiding eye contact.
When the elevator finally opened in the docking bay Zim fled quickly and opened the Voot runner, getting in and typing commands. Gaz climbed in as the roof opened up, Zim closed the Voot quickly to avoid the falling rain and lifted off the dock, soaring through the sky.
The awkward scene still loomed over the quiet pair as Zim searched for the Membrane house in the dark night. Gaz folded her arms and sunk in her seat, Zim looked over at her once in awhile but looked away when she noticed.
Finally, he found it, the bright electric fence was easy to see in the darkness, and he lowered the Voot down in the back yard.
"Thanks." Gaz said, opening the hatch and slipping out into the rain.
"No problem." Zim said, watching her go. She ran to the door and looked back, giving Zim a small wave and a smile before she went in. Zim waved back after she closed it. He stayed there for a few seconds longer than he needed to before finally lifting off into the night, returning home.