As Lydia walked to the exit, she realized that she was being followed.
"If you loser guards are gonna follow me, you might as well have guns drawn!" said Lydia as she turned around and got into her fighting stance.
"We have you surrounded!" said one of the guards, "This poor girl is going to be in so much trouble when we are done with her!" he thought smugly.
"If you let me go, I promise I won't kill you." Lydia offered in her sweetest voice. At that moment the air around her head appeared as the air on a hot day over blacktop where the mirage of water appears. Suddenly the unusually dense air pinned all the guards except the one who spoke. "You are in no position to attack me! Now I am going to warn you, right now I can crush your workmates and then I will deal with you!"
"My job is to protect everyone in this building from people like you!" the guard said defiantly.
"Then you leave me with no choice, I will deal with you first!" Lydia stated coldly. It wasn't until she was two feet away from the guard that he realized the mistake he made.
Two days later, Dib walked up to the one house that looked out of place on the street. When he knocked on the door it was Lydia who answered it. Dib noticed that she had a small scratch on her cheek.
"Hello, how are you?" asked Dib politely, "How did you get that scratch?"
"One guard's pathetic attempt at self defense." replied Lydia flatly as she walked over to a corner of the room with a pile of books, a flute and a violin.
"What's it like reading Braille?" asked Dib. Lydia gave him a strange look.
"What's it like reading flat letters?" Lydia asked with a bite in her voice, "Not exactly describable is it, you kind of have to do it in order to know."
"Good point." Dib noted, "Where is Zim?"
"In the lab, I think you know how to get in." said Lydia.
"Thanks." replied Dib as he walked into the kitchen towards the garbage can that was actually an entrance into Zim's lab. As Dib rode the elevator down into the lab, he remembered the first time was actually allowed down here. Back when he was in sixth grade during the time Tak had tried to take Zim's job. "In eighth grade I realized that Zim wasn't taking over the world anytime soon, so I stopped paying attention to him." thought Dib, "What I have been wondering most is if its true that Zim is the tallest person in the sophomore year." Rumor had it that Zim was the tallest, the second tallest was some guy who was held back and then Dib was the third tallest boy in that year. "I've seen that repeater, I'm not to sure how anyone would be taller than that." It didn't take Dib long to find Zim, seeing as Zim stood a good foot and a half taller than Dib.
"Wow, so it's true, I am the third tallest boy in the tenth grade!" exclaimed an awestruck Dib.
"You should know!" said Zim, "You are in all but one of my classes!"
"I stopped paying attention to you two years ago." said Dib, "Now, why did you want to talk to me?"
"To call a truce, my mission was a fake!" Zim stated, "I need you to help me get into a position where, if the need be, I can get a permanent job and secure myself a place in human society."
"Really Zim, do you think I'm stupid? Do you think I would believe a story like that?" asked a skeptical Dib.
"I have recorded the transmission from the Massive." Zim said looking and sounding both angry and depressed. As Dib watched the recording he was amazed at how brutal the Tallests had been to Zim.
"Do you think I would fake that?" Zim asked Dib after it was over looking, if at all possible more broken than before.
"I'm sorry Zim, for not believing you, I know it was important to you." apologized Dib, "I also know that there is another reason that you want me here."
"You're smarter than I once anticipated. Yes, actually I wanted to ask a favor of you." said Zim, "If the Tallests send someone to kill me or they decide to do it themselves, please find a place for G.I.R and Lydia. Minimoose will stay with Skoodge."
"He is settling his affairs!" Dib thought shocked. He would have protested if Zim didn't have that deadly serious look on his face.
"Ok, I will Zim." said Dib also realizing that Zim was showing humility, something he had never shown before, "I will help you. Where are we going?"
"It's three o'clock, Lydia is practicing her violin." replied Zim.
"How does she learn the music?" asked Dib.
"G.I.R reads the notes to her and she memorizes them." explained Zim, "Surprisingly G.I.R is good at the whole musical thing. I know this because I can read sheet music too." So with that the two walked up to the main living room, and over in the same corner she was in when Dib walked in, was Lydia, she held in her hands an expensive looking violin.
"How did you afford this?" asked Dib.
"Lydia found it, my friend who works at the music store puts it on hold until I can afford it." explained Zim.
"You actually accepted a human's companion ship?" asked Dib who once again doubted Zim.
"Yes, I did, Melanie Hu, the albino girl who moved here a couple years ago." said Zim, "I got along with her because she wasn't annoying like Keef plus she realized that at the start I didn't really like her, Lydia is the only reason that we became friends."
Dib noticed that Lydia was quite good at playing music. After a few hours, Zim, Dib and Lydia went back down into the lab. They were headed to the simulation room. Lydia went into the room ad the two boys went into the control room.
"Lydia, today you have a new audience for combat practice." said Zim over an intercom, "Dib, prepare yourself for the most shocking display of your life."
"Fine by me," said Lydia with a smirk, "I was wondering when a human would be able to see what I can do with my hands and live to talk about it." With that, the simulation begun, a strong looking man appeared in front of Lydia. With a calm look on her face, Lydia waited until the holographic man ran up to her to throw a punch. She simply caught his fist and threw it back, while putting her right leg in front of him in a way that he would be unable to get away from her without tripping over her leg. Then after that she threw a series of light punches which threw him off balance, followed by her jumping up to deliver a bone shattering kick to the top of the mans head.
"Simulation terminated, winner Lydia!" said the computer. Dib just stared in shock.
"She made it look so easy!" exclaimed Dib who was thankful that she didn't do that to him.
"Sixteen and a professional assassin!" said Zim proudly.
"I am a girl of many talents," said Lydia, "Dib what are your thoughts?"
"Thank you for not breaking my skull open when you attacked me." replied Dib, who was still recovering from what he just saw. At this time, Zim and Lydia laughed. While this happened, G.I.R. walked in.
"Mastah I made mashed potatoes!" the little robot said happily.
"Very good G.I.R." said Zim, looking slightly irritated that the robot was covered in them and tracking the potatoes all over the lab.
"I have a question, Zim." said Dib, "Do you have a part time gob?"
"Yes, I work at the movie theater across town." answered Zim, as he walked; Dib noticed that the Irken was limping slightly. Then inside Dib's mind Lydia's voice spoke.
"In case you were wondering, I did that to him while we were sparring a couple of months ago." said the voice.
"Hey Zim, is it ok if maybe Gaz and I could stay over here for the night?" asked Dib.
"Well, it would give us time to make plans and Lydia would have someone to talk to." said Zim, "That is if your sister ever stops playing her Game Slave Four. Alright, you two can come over."
"Thanks, Zim. I'll go get her and come back, but order pizza so that Gaz will want to be here." said Dib.
"No problem, G.I.R. and Lydia love pizza, I'm sure they won't object." replied the Irken.
"Well, see you soon!" Dib said as he ran out of the house. Zim stared out of the window, watching until Dib was out of sight.
"What have I gotten myself into?" wondered Zim as he mentally prepared himself for what was about to come.