One by one vampire-mutant piggies fall victim to her unstoppable rage as Gaz lays across her couch after school. She's been working on the same level all day and at this point has memorized the pattern of their attacks. Her thumb swivels over the joystick with practiced confidence, making her character execute another combo and scoop up a new item that appears. All the troubles of the day are completely forgotten in her game and headphones and Gaz is totally at ease. The muffled sounds of the doorbell barely filter through her focus and she doesn't do much as bat an eyelash. Gaz doesn't even consider pausing her game to answer the door.
A minute goes by and whoever the fuck is at the door hasn't given up, if anything, they're getting impatient. At this point, it's starting to become white noise to her as she slays her enemies for the fourth try. The sounds of Dib's heavy footsteps as he barrels down the stairs cut through the static of the doorbell.
"Gaz! You've been down here the whole time and never answered the door." He chastises, tone the statement that it should be rather than a needless question.
She grunts at him and they both know his words are pointless.
Whoever is outside is bashing on the doorbell as frequently as Gaz slams the buttons on her controller and a strange feeling of dread finally starts to creep up on her. Like she's forgetting something important.
"Damn, whoever they are they're determined. You betting Jehovah's witness or girl scout?" Dib chuckles at his own joke and answers the door.
The shitstorm that breaks out is instantaneous.
"What are YOU doing here?!" Dib shrieks, cutting through my vibe mercilessly.
"Out of my way Dib-stink! Your freakish body and horrifyingly large skull are taking up the doorway!" An all-too-familiar caterwauling followed by Dib grunting - Gaz can assume he's just been shoved by Zim.
"Hell no!" A grunt from Zim this time as he's likely shoved back. But she isn't looking. "This is my house! Get out! I don't know what gruesome plan you've cooked up this time but I'm going to stop you!" Zim? A plan?... Oh, that's right. Dib's paranoia and obsessive hero complex are what got Gaz into this in the first place.
Fuck, that's right. Gaz kinda got involved with Zim on impulse and now it's accidentally become a commitment of hers. And if she knows anything about Zim, he's not going to let it go easily.
"Don't touch me with your filthy paws!" Zim hisses. "I am here for Miss Gaz, not you!" He sneers, and she pauses the game immediately. Shit Zim, you really do have the worst judgment in the galaxy…
"What?" Dib hisses back, horrified. "STAY AWAY FROM MY SISTER!" He roars as his war cry, and any semblance of civility has snapped.
Gaz peers over the couch, not drawing any attention to myself. Despite Dib apparently landing the first blow Zim's managed to wrestle them both inside. They fight in the entryway like cats, grappling and clawing and biting, with no regard for the open door. The neighborhood is used to them by now anyway.
The pair fight with such ferocity that neither could be given the advantage as far as willingness for violence is concerned. They fight like they did when they were children, except they're not children anymore. She's not afraid of either of them, nor is she particularly concerned for them, but they are both much stronger than they used to be and it's noteworthy. Dib is significantly larger than Zim, he towers over the alien with a solid eight inches making his reach and weight a significant factor. However, Zim is a slippery little guy and surprisingly strong for his size which makes it difficult for Dib to pin him down. Zim's more flexible and seems to have a lot of compact power, plus his claws and teeth. Zim surely has more experience under his belt as well. According to him, he had entered the military long before Dib and Gaz were even born, but he was always a little screwup and did more with engineering than hand-to-hand combat. On the other hand, Dib fights every battle with a great sense of purpose, no matter how insignificant it is, and he really knows how to take a beating. He's had people wailing on him his whole life, herself included, and never stays down for long. It's the most annoying and amazing thing about him.
"Stay down, you disgusting human!" Zim snarls, having managed to force Dib onto his back, Zim's full weight on Dib's shoulders and one arm barred across Dib's neck.
"Never gonna happen, you monster!" Dib spits back. He grabs Zim by his left shoulder and pulls him down, taking control of Zim's body just long enough to arch up and roll - effectively switching their positions. Zim isn't dazed for long by Dib's force or roll-reversal and manages to move within the milliseconds Dib takes to pull back far enough for a forceful punch so the blow on Zim is only glancing. "Nothing you're up to could be good, and involving Gaz is even worse!" Dib rears back for another punch, "I swear if you even think about touching her I'll crush you! Forget about saving your body for dissection!" Dib's sloppy form gives Zim enough space to dodge the punch completely this time. Zim wiggles his arms free and grabs Dib's head, digging in his claws in an effort to disrupt Dib enough to get his legs free. Zim is successful only for a split second, having just enough time to pull his legs up, kick at Dib's abdomen, and squirm out from under him. They both spring to their feet, crouched and ready.
"I'm not going to hurt your sister you un-evolved creature! Zim has an assignment and I will report to her!"
"Well, you can-! Wait… What?" Dib's posture straightens slightly, confused by the news. "An assignment? What are you talking about? You guys aren't in the same class."
"I don't have to disclose anything to you." Zim sneers and straightens his posture as well. His full height is underwhelming, to say the least
Dib's face hardens and he tenses for battle. "You'll tell me if you want me to even consider letting you in! You're probably just trying to trick me anyway." Dib seems to have forgotten Gaz there. Or maybe he thinks she's been unaware the whole time. Whatever the case it makes her snort in amusement. It would be much easier for the both of them if Dib just turned around and asked me.
Zim's sensitive antenna twitch under his wig at the sound and his gaze darts over to the lounging Gaz. His eyes widen when he sees her, perfectly relaxed into the couch. He can probably guess that I've been there for a while.
"Miss Gaz!" He shouts in surprise and dashes towards her.
"Hey!" Dib chases after him hardly a step behind, though clearly surprised by Zim completely abandoning their fight. He tackles Zim to the ground inches away from the couch, the both of them amazingly close to bashing their heads into the back of it on the way down.
The real battle is Gaz trying to keep a straight face
She shifts onto her knees to look down over the back of the couch at the tangled pile they're in. Dib's forearm is in Zim's jaws while Dib is working to put Zim in a headlock. She manages to keep her gaze cool as she looks down at them. Gaz draws their attention by the slight motion of lowering her headphones to rest them on her shoulders.
"What?" Gaz asks with no sense of urgency or even distress. They both immediately launch into loud and detailed accounts of the past few minutes, trying to talk over one another, as she if didn't witness the whole thing.
"You're too loud." She snaps at them, keeping her voice low so they're forced to listen.
"But Gaz!" They protest in perfect, childish unison. "He-!" She cuts them off quickly.
"Do not tell me that 'he started it'," She growls. "If either of you does, I'll show you what it really means to get your ass kicked." They scowl but have calmed down enough to separate. They get up and straighten themselves out, but not without a few middle fingers, tongues sticking out, and shoves. Gaz doesn't mind, as long as they do it quietly.
"Dib, relax." She starts with her brother. "Zim's not lying." Dib's jaw drops just as smug satisfaction splits Zim's face.
"But why-!"
"It's something assigned by the counselor." She lies easily, impressing herself with her quick thinking. Gaz supposes she doesn't have to lie but… Telling Dib that she's sort of socializing with Zim more or less voluntarily doesn't seem like a good idea. Judging by the look in Zim's eyes it seems like he appreciates not having to explain as well. "They're trying to make the troubled Strike Three students work together on something good."
"Oh." Dib's brows furrow and he sounds suspicious, but he seems at the very least satisfied that his sister is not in immediate danger. Or at least, he's thrown off enough for now. But his paranoia is legendary and Gaz knows this won't be the end of it.
"Zim." She looks at him and he snaps to that same informal attention stance. "Let's get something straight. I'll come to you when I want to. Not when you want me to."
"But-!" Oh, the similarities between Zim and her brother can be marvelous. Marvelously annoying.
"There's nothing to negotiate Zim. That's it."
Dib snickers like a kid who's sibling just got busted. Zim grimaces and stomps on Dib's foot to retaliate.
"We can talk again when I finish this level." This seems to satisfy Zim for the time being as well. He skulks back out of the house obediently, hands shoved deep into his pockets. When the front door slams closed Dib turns back to Gaz.
"Is that really it? You're not being threatened or anything, are you?" He frets.
"Does the school administration count here or are you just talking about Zim?"
"Just Zim." He clarifies but cracks a smile because he's developed an ear for Gaz's jokes. "But the school administration might be worse."
"I'm not in any danger Dib, I promise." She assures, her voice smooth and crisp with decisiveness as she slides her headphones back to their rightful place. If there's one thing Gaz is certain of, Zim isn't a threat to her.
:::
Gaz completes the level smoothly by the time it starts to get dark - having memorized and perfected counters to each of the enemies' moves. She does some inventory management then gets up to stretch, thinking about taking a break to eat and shower as her eyes roam over the living room. Everything is as it should be, familiar clutter and carpet stains invisible to her, but then her peripheral vision catches something out the window.
Something little and green peering in.
Gaz's eyes widen in disbelief, but she's not mistaken. Gaz rushes out the front door in time to see Zim jump away from the window and face her with a defensive, yet submissive stance.
"What the hell are you doing here? It's been hours!" She demands.
"But, but Miss Gaz- You said to report when you finished that game level!"
"No, Zim I-" She sighs in exasperation. She guesses she did say something like that. "I didn't mean sit here as wait for me to finish, I meant to go home and I'd come to see you when I was ready."
"But would that not take longer? This way there is no time wasted while you walk to Zim's." He's right, technically, but that doesn't make this situation any less weird.
"Don't you have anything better to do with your time than watch me through my window like a fucking creep?!" She spits back. Surely he's been on Earth long enough to know that's not acceptable.
He fidgets uncomfortably, and can't seem to form a response. Then Gaz thinks to herself that he probably doesn't have anything better to do.
"Whatever…" She sighs, "Let's just get on with it." Zim perks right back up and marches up to her.
"Zim- I mean, I spent hours searching human music and it's historical changes!" He boasts. Gaz turns to walk in the direction of his house and he follows without question. "It is a particularly astounding waste of time, energy, resources, and what minimal intelligence humankind possesses."
Gaz rolls her eyes at this. "Find anything interesting?"
"Oh yes, a few things." He nods, mostly to himself, and seems very proud. It seems he did put a lot of effort into this… weirdly enough. When he decides to take on a task there's nothing that can deter him. Gaz thinks he's happy to have gotten another mission of sorts. He seems to be lost without one, defective or not. "I will reveal to you the more superior types of human music when we arrive at my base. Miss Gaz will be pleased to see the results of my work."
"Yeah, well Miss Gaz will be the judge of that." They walk the rest of the way in silence and she tries to ignore the dumb grin he has on the whole time.
They get to his house and he rushes ahead to open the door for her, swiftly kicking the robo-parents out of the way before they can even finish saying "welcome."
Inside, Gaz once again makes herself at home on his couch. He instructs his computer to retrieve the files of music that he had apparently saved, who does so with a fair amount of sarcasm when Gaz suddenly realizes something that she truly should've noticed right away.
"Zim… Where's Gir?"
Zim freezes, not looking at me and not responding. The silence soon becomes hard for me to stomach, his petrified body language even more so. She lets a few minutes pass, telling herself that maybe he just needs time to collect himself. Eventually, Gaz realizes that he's not even close to talking. He hasn't even blinked. He's just been staring at the floor. She steels herself and breaks the silence, accepting the fact that he needs her to do it for him.
"... Come here." Gaz says, adopting the same soft, but solid voice she had used on him before. This time she extends her arms towards him, palms tilted up and out. Zim jerks when he hears her and blinks hard a few times. Slowly he approaches Gaz, arms clenched around his midsection as though he feels sick. He stops about three feet in front of her.
"Come on." She tries again and gestures for him to get closer, not quite sure what she's going to do herself. Gaz has been through some tough times of her own, but she always dealt with them in her own head - so she isn't quite sure how to talk someone through… Whatever it is that happened. But by the way Zim's acting, it seems like he's suffered a loss.
Zim looks conflicted at first, brow pinching as he stares at the floor. Eventually, he does come to her. Gaz has just invited someone to come into her space, and they have accepted it. Two things that she's never even considered before. Gaz doesn't really know why it seems okay to do now. Maybe she feels worse for Zim than she first thought, maybe it's okay because he's not human. Maybe she wants him to rely on her even more.
Gaz raises her arms slowly, giving Zim plenty of time to react, and gently places her hands on his shoulders. She presses down carefully, signaling him to kneel down to her eye level. He doesn't resist. Zim sits on his knees in front of her, his head still bowed so he is now staring at Gaz's lap rather than his ugly tiled floor. Again, Gaz moves her hands, still slowly, up to his head. She slides off his wig but he doesn't tense like she thought he would. He just removes his contacts in response. Gaz lets my hands fall away from him, tossing the wig onto the floor next to him.
"It's okay, Zim. Tell me what happened. You know you can."
His jaw clenches and his claws knot around themselves in his lap, but at least he does open up to her once again.
"I… I disassembled my Standard Issue Robot." This surprises her. She knows Gir's been a pain in the neck to Zim for a long time but for some reason, it was hard to imagine him ever actually getting rid of Gir.
"Why?" She asks, masking her surprise in hopes of easing Zim's nerves.
"Gir was… Was just some junk that the Tallest threw at me as a joke. When I found out I… I was so angry. So angry and…" He swallows hard and takes a deep breath before continuing. "And Gir was just like me. Something worthless that the Tallest sent off for a laugh. I couldn't look at Gir anymore knowing that! So I… I did what should be done to all defectives before they ever get the chance to realize what they are." Zim whispers and Gaz thinks he'd be crying if he could.
Zim disassembled Gir as… Well, almost as a way to project his suicide with the excuse that it was merciful because of how much pain he was in. But it's clear that he regrets it now.
Gaz thinks for a moment before deciding what to say.
"When you're ready we can reassemble Gir together."
His breath hitches and finally he looks up.
"But… Even if we do put him back together it won't be the same... Gir… We can't make him like he was. I took him apart. I saw what a random mess his head was." He scratches at his own hands and arms anxiously. "We can't possibly recreate that."
She holds his gaze and speaks slowly, fully aware of the multi-layered conversation that's happening. "So what if it's not the same? This time Gir will be renewed as your creation, not your leaders. I'll help you pick up the pieces."
His eyes snap back down and he seems almost angry. "I can't ask you to do that!"
She smirks a bit at this. "You're damn right. But you're not asking. I'm inserting myself." She places her hands back on his shoulders, drawing his attention again. "It'll be okay, I'm not saying do it now. Just when you're ready."
He nods, and Gaz can feel her face soften against her will. "I'm sorry I brought up bad memories. Show me your music?" He nods again but doesn't move, but Gaz doesn't say anything more. She just lets him breathe for a bit. Gaz feels like… This would be the time to provide more comfort but… Hugging him or something just doesn't make sense in her head. She settles for keeping a hand on his shoulder. Eventually, the moment passes and Gaz lets go of Zim. He draws himself back up off the floor, looks at the spot he kneeled in a bit longer and goes back to get the file.
She has to hand it to Zim, his music pick hadn't even crossed her mind. She was expecting techno or classical or… heck, even Pink Floyd. It certainly wouldn't hurt him to put on some Pink Floyd and fucking relax once in a while.
Zim plays traditional Japanese Enka.
When he said he examined music's history on Earth he wasn't exaggerating. Gaz didn't even know there was much Enka recorded since it's so old and hardly done anymore.
She supposes the loud, wavering voice of the singing is reminiscent of his own voice. She can't say she dislikes it, it's actually pretty cool sounding. It's just really unexpected. Time gets away from them as they listen to his favorite songs and before Gaz realizes what's happening, she falls asleep on Zim's couch.