Chapter 2:

Dib was distracted from his late-night, last minute studies by a loud and incessant pounding at his front door. From the sound of it, if he didn't answer soon, he wouldn't have a door anymore.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" he called out, as he abandoned his things and raced down the stairs.

The pounding had abruptly stopped before he even reached the doorknob. Suspicious, Dib made sure the latch and chain were firmly in place before opening the door just a crack. He gaped at his late night visitor. "...Zim?"

The fact that the invader was at his house was not what surprised him. Zim had tried to confront the human in his home many times before... Just never without his wig and contacts. Or looking like he'd just climbed out of a car wreck. He flung the door open, only to have it catch on the chain and bounce shut. Removing the latch and chain, he opened it again. On his doorstep he began to wave his arms frantically to get the attention of whoever happened to populate the outside world at the moment. "LOOK EVERYONE, IT'S AN ALIEN! I'M NOT CRAZY!"

"GOD, SHUT UP!" said the bag-lady and threw a shoe from her cart at Dib's oversized head.

His confidence once more deflated, he just muttered, "Whatever... so," he brought his attention back to the invader, "What diabolical scheme to take over the Earth are you plotting now? Do you even realize you're out here in public without your disguise on? Not that it matters, obviously, since people are IDIOTS who can't even see what's RIGHT in front of their-"

Zim shoved Dib aside and let himself in, heading straight to where he knew the boy's medicine cabinet was. The pitiful concoctions were slow acting and tasted horrible... but at least they were not surrounded by an angry swarm of death bees.

Dib jumped in front of him, blocking his path. "HEY!" he yelled, "You can't just come into my house like that! Plus I wasn't done talking... that's just plain rude, you know. And you look like crap. You gonna tell me what's going on here?"

"B... buh-*cough*" Zim tried to talk again, but it was still no good. "... bee-*koff-koff*" The effort was painful, and obviously wasted on the worm-baby who clearly failed to comprehend the situation. Zim changed tactics and tried to tell his story using a combination of hand-gestures and interpretive dance.

The Dib, though impressed, continued to stare stupidly. He wondered where the pretty pink ribbon wand Zim was expertly twirling had suddenly appeared from...

Zim was getting tired and was just about ready to break his wand over the boy's enormous head in frustration when the human suddenly realized, "OH! You can't talk because you have a sore throat and need a cough drop? Hold on a second..."

Dib opened his cabinet and fished for a cherry flavored piece, unwrapping it on his way back to Zim, "Here."

Zim eyed it warily, but accepted it in the end. After a few minutes of sucking on the hard candy, he said, "We have a favor to ask, human."

Dib left his mouth open with the next word left to hang. He closed it, looking around confused. "We?"

Zim blinked and looked behind himself, surprised that he was, in fact, alone. He looked back at Dib and shrugged. "He's probably in the kitchen making waffles... I'm hungry."

"Waffles?" Dib was completely baffled. "Are you talking about GIR? Did he blow up your toaster or something?" Or maybe the waffles themselves had exploded. Dib wouldn't put it past the malfunctioning little robot.

"GIR?" asked Zim, also looking confused. He shrugged again. "He might have by now, if he's still in there. I can't worry about him now."

Okay, getting off-track and a headache here... Dib shook his head. "Never mind."

He crossed his arms and stared hard at the alien. "Why should I help you with anything?"

"I need your help blowing up my house," he said casually on his way to the kitchen. "I trapped something eeevil in there!"

Dib's eyes popped open wide. "Blow up your house? Something evil? What are you talking about? What 'evil' thing lives there besides you? Is it a monster? Did he do this to you?"

Zim shook his head and looked around again as if looking for someone. He simply shrugged when he couldn't find him. "Not just one... it's an ARMY of monsters! Hundreds, no, THOUSANDS of them! They've come to hurt Zim! They destroyed my lab! They almost got me too, but I escaped! Ha.. haha... HAHAHA-*cough-cough-cough-choke*"

Zim collapsed, bringing his hand up to his throat to rub and sooth it. His voice became soft, and almost trembled at his next words. "I... I think... I think my Tallests might have sent them. Did you know..?" They think they can do this to the mighty ZIM and get away with it? I won't let them! I'll destroy the little beasts, and make sure they never come back!" He smiled triumphantly at the human. "That's where you come in!"

Zim's expectant smile unnerved the boy, but not as much as the entire conversation in general did. If Dib didn't know any better, he'd swear Zim was going to ask him to-

"You're going with me back to destroy Irk! And we have to do it soon, before they send more bees!"

Dib cocked an eyebrow. "Riiiight. So after all this time of trying to take over my planet for your evil alien race you just decided to invite me over and destroy them all? Just because a few bees flew into your house? That's pathetic, even for you, Zim! What are you REALLY plotting?"

Zim's smile faltered. "No, not me!" he said, shaking his own head. "I'm telling you it's THEM! They sent those bees here to Earth, and isn't it your job to protect this planet?"

Dib nodded. "Yeah. So?"

Zim furrowed his brow. "Is something wrong?"

"I'll say there is! If this isn't a trick, it still doesn't explain why you're acting more insane than usual."

Zim said nothing. He just looked at the boy with a mixture of dissappointment and anger.

"... Zim?" Dib said, a hint of doubt sneaking into his voice. "You're not actually serious, right?"

"You're not going to help me, are you?"

Dib gaped disbelieving at him, "Holy moose, you ARE serious! You actually beleive-"

But Zim wasn't in the mood for talk anymore. Instead he turned on his heel, threw the door open and ran.

(End of Chapter 2)

Thank you Taco Lord Brian and the random guest for your support!