A Way With Words
Chapter One
The next day, Zim didn't go to school. Instead, he prepared for his trip. He double checked that he had everything. He then checked it again. And again. Quite honestly, he couldn't stop obsessing over it.
That evening, he stared out the top window of his base, looking for the right moment to strike. He kept his eyes away from the sun, he knew that the eclipse could blind him. Then he would be utterly useless to the mission and his task.
The world outside of his house suddenly turned a dark orange. It was time.
He called GIR and clambered into his cruiser. He then opened the hatch above him and began his ascent.
"GIR, I'm going to need you to be my eyes. If I look directly at the eclipse, I will lose my sight." Zim ordered.
The robot simply gave a short "Okie-Dokie" and stared out the front window of the cruiser while Zim got his last look at the world he had inhabited for that short amount of time.
Sensing the importance of the matter, GIR took its job seriously for once. He told Zim to turn left and they were flying straight at the sun.
And then, it went dark.
Zim could feel that.
He made his right turn and his world was light again. He opened his eyes to find a world just like the one he had left.
He landed his ship in a small clearing in the forest. He put on his disguise before anyone, if they were around, would notice.
He walked quickly out of the forest. He had left GIR behind at the ship, as not to become a disturbance. He would have to be very careful on this mission. When he came to the small town that he had known, Zim was struck with amazement. The city was in ruins, with fires here and there. At one end, The Massive stood tall, larger than life.
"Oh…wow…"
He stood in silence, taking in the world before him.
He then snuck his way towards this world's base.
Zim cautiously snuck up to the door of his alternate self, he began to regret his decision. He knew about the paradoxes that it would cause if he interacted with an alternate version of himself. But he was willing to take that risk.
He knocked on the door and waited.
The door creaked open and a figure peered out at Zim. The door opened fully and someone looking almost like him stared at him.
"Who are you? What do you want?" The other asked.
"We need to talk," Zim replied, mentally comparing their voices.
He pushed past the other him, walked inside the base, and sat down on the lumpy pink couch.
"You didn't answer my questions,"
"Well, to make things... simple, I am someone that you know very well. And I already told you what I want."
"Tell me your name,"
Zim took this opportunity to do what he did best. Yell.
"I AM ZIM you worthless Irken being!"
Wait… He just called himself worthless.
The other him sat down on the couch next to him.
"That's….Impossible. You can't be… Me,"
"Oh I am me. Just from another place,"
"What do you want to know?"
"Where is the Dib-stink?"
The other Zim scoffed.
"Dib? They killed him long ago. If you want to see him, go to the cemetary,"
"What?"
Zim stared at the other in disbelief.
"They killed him,"
Zim resisted the urge to punch the other one.
"Well, he said he was trapped in this dimension,"
"I haven't seen him,"
"Right. How did you… conquer this planet?"
"I didn't. The tallest came here on their own accord. They called me to the Massive and had me witness the boy's death. He begged and begged me to save him. Quite honestly, I wanted to. We were perfect enemies, don't you think?"
"The best,"
Both invaders had a small remnant of their cocky smile on their faces.
"I… sort of wish that he was still here,"
"We don't believe in wishes,"
The other hung his head.
"I know,"
"Do you have an idea of where my dimension's Dib would be?"
"Possibly… His old house,"
"Thank you for the information… Zim,"
At this he left the base and stalked out of the yard.
The Tallest had killed Dib. That thought preyed on his mind until he got to the ruined house.
He stepped through the doorway, spotting the door that had once occupied this place in splinters. Zim walked up the stairs, having to jump a few to get to the top. He looked in all of the doorways, none of them looking quite right. He then came to a locked door. Zim busted it open, bruising his right shoulder in the process.
"Ouch," He growled, cradling the wound.
He searched the room, again finding nothing. He came to the desk and found a sheet of paper, this time with a longer note.
If anyone is here-
IF you are reading this, I am alive. They are going to wipe my brain in ten minutes, and I am going to live at the following address. Please, come and find me, and please leave notes for me. I might still have some of my memories after the process, and I may be able to understand what you are trying to tell me. There's a small chance of this happening, but let's just hope for the best. I hope to see you soon.
-Dib
Zim read the note and laughed at his success. He turned the paper over and read the address, still laughing. The Dib was alive and Zim knew where to find him. He would later on consider this to be the best start to a mission that he had ever had.
Hello! If you have read the prologue, I apologize for the typo that was in there. Please forgive me! IF you liked the story, you can give me tips on what to include! You can also continue reading, as reading is good for the human brain. Thanks!
-Aerostripe