Trapped, trapped beneath a desk and surrounded on all sides. A chorus of moans, pounding, and scratching. Corpses piling over, scraping, pulling, gnawing. Dib and Zim were pressed against each other in fear. Zim Shot wildly at the monsters that were crawling after them.
Layers of the creatures built up against them, intoxicating the air with a foul smell. Dib's eyes welled up with tears and his nose scrunched up.
"IF YOU DO NOT STOP YOUR SNIVELING I WILL KILL YOU!" Zim threatened Dib in a loud screech.
Dib crushed a corpse's face in with his booted foot. It gurgled out one last moan and slumped down. They would not be able to keep this up, they had to run or kill them all. Continuing to hide meant suffocating among the bodies, but leaving also meant getting torn to bits….or whatever the monsters did when they caught you. Zim's gun sputtered a bit and he smacked it with his hand.
The glowing pink liquid inside the glass container of the gun was obviously depleting, it looked like it only had a few shots left in it. Zim hissed out a few curses at the gun in an alien language. Dib clutched his own head and shut his eyes tightly. He tried to block out the sickening smells and noises as he attempted to formulate some sort of plan. A pretty terrible plan popped into his head, but one that he knew would save his own skin.
Zim was occupied with aiming and shooting at the closest creatures. Dib grabbed ahold of the ray gun and tried to rip it away. His enemy immediately gripped the gun even tighter with his claws. They fought over it, but Dib came out victorious and held it against his body. Zim growled and clawed at him, trying to reach his gun.
A corpse was approaching Dib, getting closer. He swallowed and swiftly shot the gun at its eye, blowing it out of its head and stopping it in its tracks. Zim crawled onto him, trying to reach for the weapon. Their gazes locked for a moment, eyes burning with hatred and bitterness. Dib threw Zim out from under the desk.
He rolled out onto the blood covered tile floor while screaming, "DIIIIIIB! YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS!"
Dib pulled one of the still corpses on top of himself and quietly watched the moving ones. Zim jumped up, clenching his fists. All of the dead creatures lost interest in Dib and began shuffling towards Zim. The irken let out a series of scared and angry noises as he ran away from the scene. His metal legs slipped out of his PAK ports and lifted him up, allowing him to jump up and crawl into the ceiling through a hole.
Dib waited until the last monster had left, wandering aimlessly in the direction that Zim went in spite the fact that they could no longer see him.
'Those things are dumb as hell' Dib thought to himself as he pushed the dead body off of him.
He crawled out from underneath the desk. With a quick glance in every direction, he deemed it safe enough to continue his search for the exit. Dib slipped his phone out of his pocket. It only had a little bit of battery left. After thinking it over for a moment, he decided to use the flashlight function anyways.
The light spilled all over the hallway. Dib looked down at the ground, his face lighting up with joy when he saw the tracks Zim's ship had left behind when it crashed. He followed the tracks, shining his light over everything to make sure they were at least slightly familiar. It did not take long for him to find the storage room that he had entered through. Rain still dribbled from the hole in the ceiling and splattered his glasses with large drops of water.
Dib searched the room for something he could use to get to the hole. He found a filing cabinet that was not utterly obliterated. It made a few stressed creaking noises as he pushed it towards the hole. Moonlight beamed down into the room like a spotlight. The sound of gunfire and chaos could be heard coming from both inside and outside of the building.
Dib started climbing up the slightly banged up cabinet. He stood on top of it shakily and looked at his ship. It was dark and still.
"Hey ship, wake up!" He shouted at it.
The ship made a low humming noise and its lights turned on, one by one. It made an annoyed groan in Tak's voice.
"Get me up there, okay?" Dib requested.
His ship huffed, "okayyyyy."
It creaked as it unfolded a metallic claw from itself and reached out, scooping Dib up. He wrapped his arms around it, holding on tightly. The claw lifted him out of the hole and placed him on the rooftop next to the ship. It retracted the claw back against itself. Dib stumbled slightly when he was set down, but regained his balance.
His mouth turned up into a smug smirk as he looked back down in the hole, "Clean escape!"
"Hm...I better get going though….and probably prepare myself…."
Dib shrugged as he walked over to his ship, then tapped on the windshield.
"Let me in" he demanded.
It slid open and the ship made a disgruntled noise. Dib climbed in, then flipped a few switches while the windshield closed. He got comfortable in his seat and the ship lifted up into the air. The spacecraft started to turn away from the building, but as it got ready to speed off, something hit it.
"Huh?"
The sound of metal screeching and grinding resonated inside of the vehicle. Dib gripped his chair, almost hard enough to rip into the cushion. Then, suddenly, something blocked his view of the city.
It was ZIM.
The alien's eyes were full of rage and hatred. He narrowed them and bared his teeth in a growl. Zim started banging the glass with his gloved fist, while yelling out muffled words that could not pierce the window. Dib's hands were shaking as he reached for the control panel. The alien attached to the ship started shaking his head in protest, eyes going wide.
Dib grabbed a lever and pulled on it. The ship started flying forward at a breakneck speed. Zim flew off of the windshield and out of sight. His ship zoomed onward, crashing through buildings and ripping apart walls. The city passed by in a colorful view.
In mere seconds, they were miles away from the city. Dib managed to push the lever back into place and stop the ship, but the sudden halt launched him against the window. His head smashed against it, and his glasses pressed to his face uncomfortably. He fell back into the seat, vision full of blotches and head spinning wildly. There was no way in hell that his nemesis was able to hold on after that crazy ride, right? Zim had to be absolutely bonkers to stay on the ship, and extremely resilient to have survived if he did.
Dib pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and leaned forward. He spoke in an uneasy voice, "Hey, ship...Land us on the ground. Okay?"
His ship hovered for a few moments, then lowered itself slowly. The windshield popped up as soon as they were on the grass. It came off as a more passive aggressive way to tell him to get out rather than a gesture of kindness. Dib held his head as he crawled over the dashboard and flopped onto the soft grass. Its itchy blades tickled his skin, and he closed his eyes. Just a single moment of rest meant the whole world to him….
Slow breathing….
Quiet rain drops….
PLOP.
Dib's eyes snapped open again.
'Oh god, something fell off the ship.'
He turned over and held himself up on his elbows. The worst thing he could see was lying on the grass not too far away. Zim was limp on the ground, and he appeared to be in worse shape than Dib. His wig had been blasted straight off his head, probably lost somewhere forever. Besides that, one of his contacts was bent and peeling off his large ruby red eye. Rain was cascading over his body, but it did not seem to be affecting him.
The green boy's breathing was slow and strained, his back and antennae were grossly bent. His limbs were splayed about recklessly. After a few quiet moments, the pink ports on Zim's PAK began to glow brightly. A feminine voice in Irken tongue emitted from it. Dib watched in awe as Zim's spine and antennae snapped back into their correct angles. He could see pink lights glowing beneath the aliens skin, flowing through his bloodstream.
In mere minutes, Zim looked like nothing had happened. He sat up and stretched, then made a swift movement with his head that cracked his neck. His face relaxed and he sighed loudly before carefully pulled the plastic contacts out of his eyeballs. Dib blinked and sat up, carefully gazing at the alien.
Zim scratched his head, his small hand brushing against an antenna.
"Man, that could have been terrible. Had my back been broken it would have taken-..." Zim spoke to himself, then trailed off. He had noticed Dib's presence.
His antennae stood on end and he shot up from the ground, "DIB?? WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE??"
Dib snorted and snickered into the palm of his hand, "You really are dumb, do you not remember what just happened?"
Zim's anger fell from his face, shifting into embarrassment, "What? NO! ZIM REMEMBERS….Uh, SHUT UP! I JUST DON'T LIKE YOU. ZIM HAS NO MEMORY PROBLEMS!"
Dib shook his head as he got on his knees, then stood up. He had a near intimidating amount of inches on Zim. His hand reached for the pink gun messily tucked into his belt. It made him feel safer, knowing it was in his possession. Zim regarded the gun with wary and took a tentative step back.
"I'm not going to shoot you" Dib remarked, then spoke with a hint more amusement, "well, as long as you aren't a pain in my ass."
"Zim will cause no pain in your rear" he responded.
"No, that isn't what it-...whatever."
Zim's antennae pressed down against his head. Dib's brows furrowed a bit, unsure if the action was a sign of submissiveness or if it was completely unrelated to their current situation. At this exact moment, Zim appeared to be mild and even slightly frightened. He was going to assume that is what it is.
Dib kept his gun pointed at Zim, "did you cause the mess back in the city?"
If Zim could roll his eyes right now, he would be doing just that. He sneered and closed his eyes, "Haven't we been over this many times? Pretty sure you have accused me of this before. My answer is the same. No."
"Okay, well I don't care. You are still going to help me fix this before it gets really REALLY bad."
Zim opened his mouth to retort, but before he could speak something else had caught his attention. His head turned to look in the opposite direction of the city. Dib turned and looked as well. He saw nothing, but he could hear a distant and quiet roaring sound. Aircrafts, most likely jets. They swiftly came into view, practically shaking the ground with their blasting noise as they shot above the two boys.
Their path was set straight for the city. Dib was startled and confused, but it was too late when what was happening clicked into his mind. He threw himself to the ground and covered his ears moments before it happened. Zim stared straight at the city as it did. Deafening booms and burst of fire. Explosions popped like firecrackers, and it went up in a terrible, roaring blaze. The small alien was knocked to the grass, his eyes shooting wide open with shock.
In just seconds, it was over. Dib stayed in his spot, shaking while the rain pounded against his coat and soaked his hair. He gripped blades of grass and sat up to look at the terrible sight. The entire city was on fire, the rain doing nothing to stop it. Large smoke clouds billowed from it, floating high into the sky.
Then, Zim began to chuckle. He stood up and gripped his side with one hand while using the other to point at the obliterated city. His laugh rose to a malicious, high pitched cackle. The wind blew through his short dress. Rain dripped down his face and dribbled off of his antennae in small drops.
Dib was practically vibrating. His legs were shaky and his gut heavy with dread that sloshed around his system. Zim's horrible laughter filled the empty, grassy hills.
"Zim….you-you…." Dib murmured out as he stood up, gripping himself in a strong hold.
The alien's attention was called, and he stopped mid-laugh. His face turned to the wobbling human, "Eh? What is it? Do you wish to grovel at my feet?"
Dib's water soaked glasses slid down the bridge of his nose. All he could see was a blurry green blob with red eyes. He took the glasses off and wiped them with his wet shirt, only smearing the water and making no difference. His face scrunched up and he put them back on.
"Y-You're an idiot….a big...fat...STUPID...idiot" Dib growled out.
He reached for the gun, and Zim recoiled a bit.
"You know what we have?"
He kept eye contact with Zim, flinching a bit as he fired two pink and glowing shots into the air. His finger pressed the trigger again, but nothing came out. The gun was no longer glowing, it had no juice in it.
"An empty fucking pew pew gun-"
Dib dropped the gun on the ground and took a few steps towards Zim. At this point, the green boy was visibly confused and terrified. His antennae was pressed flat against his head and his eyes were wide.
"and a SHIP that wants both of us dead!"
He jabbed his finger into Zim's forehead, then pushed him back a bit. The alien stumbled slightly.
"DO YOU KNOW WHAT THIS MEANS?!" Dib asked in practically a roar.
His question echoed along the empty hills. The blazing city's lights lit up the sides of their faces. Zim clenched up, then shook his head unblinkingly.
"It means we have NOTHING!!" He screamed, face turning a crimson red and tears rolling down his already dripping face. His legs buckled from beneath him and he collapsed to the ground. Dib grabbed Zim's shoulders and sobbed loudly.
Between choked sobs and gross gurgling noises, he managed to speak again, "e-everything is gone...all gone….my home...my research...MY SISTER!"
he continued, "even your shit….your shitty fucking base….and shitty little robot…..destroyed…."
Zim's face darkened a bit at the mention of his own belongings. He stared down at Dib, eyes blank and unreadable.
"y'know, Zim, we can't even fix this….no labs….no miracle...cure…"
Dib sniveled and let go of him. He looked down at the grass, eyes focusing and unfocusing. Thunder boomed in the distance, but it was nothing compared to the explosions. They were there for a long time, unmoving. Zim did not shift or glance around, he was completely still.
Dib was shaking from shock and a cocktail of emotions, but he continued to stare at the ground. Watching bugs crawl along the earth and blades of grass whistle in the wind. Zim silently sat on the ground. His mouth let no words slip. He calmly watched the distant city, then sighed.
"Dib….muddy, wet….er, piggy Dib. I have taken pity on you. Therefore, Zim will do something. Maybe" he said, unsure and confused at his own words as they came out.
Dib finally looked up. He narrowed his eyes and grumbled, "Like what exactly?"
"Maybe we can strike a deal, a REAL one. You see, we both want to live."
"I'm not so sure about-"
Zim pushed his gloved finger to Dib's lips, a bit forcefully and in an awkward fashion. He shushed him, then started speaking again.
"Now where was I, well, you want to remedy this whole mess. Correct? Because I doubt that the disease stayed within the confines of the city."
"You mean...it…"
"YES. Dib, IT SPREAD. That is what disease does! NOW BE QUIET SQUEALY PORK SLICE." Zim shouted, then cleared his throat and looked away.
"Anyways. What I want is to leave this planet. How about I use my advanced IRKEN INTELLIGENCE to find a cure for the plague. And you, you can let me use your ship once I find it."
Dib sat up and wiped his face. The pounding rain had begun to stop to a small drizzle. He gazed at Zim with bloodshot eyes, then nodded. Zim's face lit up and he swiftly stood up.
"GOOD! Now, tell me Dib, do you know of any science facilities? Ones with the equipment say...equivalent to the one at your base."
Dib thought for a moment as he stood up, "Ah, well, my dad has labs spread out across the globe...and-"
His eyes went wide and he glanced back at the city, "my dad...he was on a trip to one farther south of here…"
Zim snapped his fingers multiple times and growled, "Hey! Hey! Stay on track. Where is the closest lab that ISN'T blown to bits."
Dib rolled his eyes and pushed Zim's hand out of his face. He spoke calmly, "The closest one is not the one my dad is at, it is more northeast. I doubt we could get into it though, authorized personnel and all. We HAVE to go to the one my dad is at. Okay?"
Zim shook his head and crossed his arms, muttering to himself, "you humans and your...genetic similarity hookups….it is so primitive."
"Be quiet, we have to get going. Okay?"
"...okay."
