A/n: Wow, I'm literally falling asleep lol, but I'm glad I got this done even if it is almost 3am XD. I'm sorry if there are errors, my eyes are sore and I will fix them up later. Reviews are appreciated. Anyway, Zim's P.O.V once again. I hope you like this chapter.

Btw, I am also submitting this story onto my deviantArt account. Come and visit me if you like :] My username is metros2soul and there is a link on my profile page.

I do not own Invader Zim.

Chapter 7

Zim's P.O.V

Compassionless. Heartless. Emotionless.

Those are some of the words an Irken smeet learns as soon as its PAK become functional. I remember when I first heard these words, I had always wondered what they meant. Other Irken's seemed to understand them right away, but not me. Nope, not Zim.

Whenever I had asked my Tallests about these words they had acted weird towards me. Not in the usual weird way they act because of my superiority but because of something else I could never figure out in my amazing head. Other Irken's called me hurty words and laughed at me. Apparently these words were important to all Irken's and the whole Empire. But I had always wondered why. Quite often I had heard the word the Dib-shit had just called me, mostly mentioned when I was near my Tallests, or high-ranking Irken's, but I had never realized it may have been directed towards me. Defective. That was that stupid word. I had some idea of what it meant. It meant a bad Irken. One that had a PAK that was corrupted. One that was flawed.

I knew it was a bad word and a lot of Irken's hated being called it. Having never fully understood it I only wondered about it, never really taking it into consideration. But now I was starting to understand why I might have been referred to that word back during my training on Devastis.

Irken's were never allowed to show hurty. Or hurt, actually. I think it's called hurt. Ever since we are smeets, we are all raised to learn that being hurt is bad, and that we needed nobody. We were raised to obey our Tallests and respect the Irken Empire. That we must fulfill our purposes of serving and being loyal our leaders and making others bow own to our superior race.

But I knew I was different from other Irken's. Something about me was different. I had something in my conscience that told me the difference between right and wrong, and despite I usually ignored it, it was there. It always nagged me. Another thing I had that was different to me, was that I felt pain. And right now I was in a lot of it. I don't ever recall ever being in this much pain before. In fact I don't ever recall crying. I didn't think I could, but what the Dib-shit had said to me, made my squeedily-spooch hurt badly.

I wasn't stupid. I knew at times things would go wrong for me and make others angry with me. I knew I wasn't perfect like my Tallests. I knew that my plans didn't work as well as I would have liked them too. I knew I had flaws. But, I didn't ever think Dib really thought I was that bad. Usually his words and taunts didn't bother me, but the way he had shouted in my face like that had made me feel worthless. He had told me that my people believed I was a joke. I didn't know if that was true or not (I couldn't imagine it being true) but that wasn't nice. He had told me I was a failure. An idiot. And that had really hurt. I felt so miserable.

Was I really a failure? Perhaps I was. He was right. I had been here for five years and hadn't destroyed anything yet. I was still learning about the planet I had been sent to conquer and developing better plans, but I hadn't taken any real sort of action yet. I wanted to, but I just hadn't. I guess even I myself wondered why. Maybe it was because I had kind of gotten attached to this stinking planet, even if I didn't want to admit it. Earth was a rare beauty compared to Irk. If one ventured to Irk, they would find nothing but industrial areas. Earth was different. It had natural beauty. Grass, oceans, trees… even strange flying pods with wings. Irk had none of that. It was one of the things I enjoyed about being here.

My contacts were blurry and itchy as I made my way out of the skool, avoiding and ignoring all the stupid hyoomans staring at me. Why should they care if I, the almighty Zim, was sad? They had made my life hell since I got here, why should they change now and ask me if I was okay? Because they were all heartless, pitiful monsters. And Dib-shit – Dib-dogpile-filthy-moron-pigfilthy-Dib-shit – was the worst of them all. That hyooman was horrible. In fact he was worse than that Tak bitch that had tried to hurt Zim as well. That was a very long time ago now though and I wondered if Tak was the right name.

I sniffled a little, rubbing at my contacts. I had no reason to remain in this stupid building of stupidness, so I just made my way out of the front entrance and down the stairs to go back to the base. But then I realized something. No doubt the Dib-hyooman would go there after me, probably to make me feel worse and remind me again of how much of a failure I was. No. I wouldn't go back there. I hoped GIR would be all right, but knowing that robot I was sure he would most likely be indulging in a bath of waffles and that disgusting sticky slimy stuff he poured over them.

So, instead of going down the steps, I turned and jumped off the side, heading around to the back of the stupid building. Some students laughed at me and pointed at me as I passed them, but I ignored it all. I really wasn't in the mood for the hyooman's taunts. Suddenly I found myself face first in the ground, one of the stupid little shits sticking his foot out and tripping me. Angrily, I pushed myself back up, only to find myself slammed back into the building behind me. A small group of the hyooman's gathered around me. For a moment, I worried about my head covery. I didn't know if I had set it on right. What if it fell off?

"What's that thing around your head, Zim? A bandage?" the hyooman spoke.

I stared back, turning my head slightly away from him.

"None of your business, filthy dirt-child! Let Zim go!" I spat.

"Was it from your… boyyyfrriieennddd? Naww… did he 'urt yeeewwwww?"

The other hyooman filthys laughed. Boyfriend? What on Irk was that?

"Zim knows nothing of this 'boyfriend' you speak of! Let ME GO." I was getting angry now. They always did this to me. How annoying they were. Curious and annoying little worm-babies.

"He's lying!" the stupid child spat at me. "Come on Zimmy-boy. What did Dibby-wibby do this time?"

Dib? He was referring to the Dib-shit? But I still didn't understand this whole 'boyfriend' thing.

"LET ME GO OR SUFFER THE WRATH OF ZIM!" I roared.

He let my superior form go. THANK IRK. I kicked him in the shin and ran, grinning a little as he shouted after me. Pathetic weak earth creature. They tried to follow me, but I used my PAK legs to scale the building and climb to the roof. Nobody would find me up there. My antennae perked a little under my head covery as I heard them shouting for me. Something about using my head for dog food. Screw them. Stupid hyoomans.

I jumped a little, as the bell suddenly sounded. I had always wondered where it was located. The children all started to head back into the building. I watched them from where I was, perched slightly on my extra limbs. And that's when I noticed him. He came out of the building, running around like a monkey, and I could hear him shouting my name.

"ZIM! Where are you?"

I scoffed slightly, ducking back a bit. Stupid-big-shit-head! Go away!

He looked around for a bit, before he seemed almost… disappointed? Then he went back into the building. Why on Irk would that pitiful monster be disappointed? He had just had me up against the wall and told me how much of a defective idiot I was. What a stupid hyooman.

I went forward slightly and peered over the side of the building. It was vacant down there now. Now was my chance. I jumped from the building, landing on my PAK legs. Letting them lower me to the ground, I retracted them into my PAK and started to walk back to the base. I was thankful that the Dib-shit had gone back into the building. I didn't want him following me or anything annoying like that. Ugh.

But I was caught off guard when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I hadn't been looking back at the skool as I walked forward towards the street. I jerked away and turned around.

I rolled my eyes and let out a highly annoyed groan. Him.

"Zim… please… just hear me out," he said. "I was a-angry… I- "

I scowled. "Leave me alone, Dib-shit."

"Zim, I'm sorry! I really am!"

What was he saying sorry to me for? I couldn't work it out. The sight of his stupid-selfish-big head was making me angry. I wiped at my contacts, which were blurred again. These stupid tears, I wished so much for them to stop.

"I DON'T CARE!" I roared at him, and he backed away slightly at my outburst. Good. "ZIM DOESN'T CARE. NOW GO AWAY YOU PITIFUL MONSTER."

He stared at me before he stuttered again. "Z-Zim I-I"

"I HATE YOU." I screamed. "I DON'T WANT TO SEE YOU EVER AGAIN!"

I panted slightly, my squeedily-spooch heaving.

Dib-shit just stared. I think I even shocked him with how loud I had roared.

We just stood like this, for a few moments or so. It felt like hours. Finally he broke the silence.

"I said some nasty stuff before Zim. I know I did. I instantly regretted it when I saw just how much it got to you. I-I didn't think. I didn't even realize what I was doing… please believe me."

Ha ha ha. Pitiful hyooman. Begging for my forgiveness. He looked at me with this strange look. Kind of like that look I had seen GIR give me whenever I told him that his waffle mixture was empty. I went to turn away, but that stupid look was stopping me. I had no idea why, but it had transfixed me. I couldn't take my eyes away from his brown coloured ones.

Dib and I had stared at each other quite often in the past. Usually it was because he was probing at me, trying to see past my disguise or to sheerly make me feel uncomfortable. Whenever I had stared back at him, it was to do the same to him, and also annoy him. But nothing about this look he was giving me indicated the hyooman's hate for me. There was nothing in his cold eyes that made me want to lash out at him, or insult or slag him the way he did me. I saw something else... like a side of this hyooman I had never seen before.

I couldn't figure out what this new expression meant. It was a mixture of confusion and bewilderment, but at the same time, I saw a change in those malicious eyes. It was subtle, but it was there. Some sort of longingness… or desire. I honestly didn't know for sure, but it wasn't the usual Dib look of Dib-shitness.

He looked upset. Maybe he really was sorry. Maybe he was really feeling the same sort of pain I had just before. If not that, some form of pain. It was evident just from that strange new expression he was giving me. It was almost like he had come to some kind of drastic realization, because this side of the Dib I had never seen before. I wondered what it could have been. What could have caused this sudden change. Because I wasn't feeling the cold vibe from the hyooman I usually got at all.

I swallowed a little, unsure of what was going to happen. He stared at me, waiting for an answer, and I felt my squeedily-spooch almost lurch.

"Why…" I started, pausing for a moment or so before continuing. "Why… should I forgive you?"

He closed his eyes.

"Because I know now that you want the same thing I do."

That took me off guard. The words repeated themselves in my head.

'Because I know now that you want the same thing I do.'

What did that mean? I was about to ask, when he reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of folded paper. I looked at it as he raised his arm and held it out to me. Slowly, I stepped forward and took it, unfolding it to see familiar writing. My writing.

It was my reminder list of things I had planned to do today. I knew Dib wouldn't be able to read Irken, but what he had said before he must have read the last reminder I had reminded myself of on there.

I stared at my scrawl, before looking back to him. His gaze met with mine and we stared again. He tilted his head to the side slightly for a moment or so, as if hesitant, before looking at me again.

"I… want to be friends too, Zim."

So he had understood my reminder. My squeedily spooch lurched again, and before I could speak he continued on.

"I lashed out at you before because I had so much coming out of me at once. So much anger and emotions I have felt over the past few months. It felt like a major burden had been lifted from my shoulders because part of that anger stemmed from something deep inside of me. Something I knew I had always wanted, but always told myself I could never accept it. I would never have thought you felt the same, because of how you are."

He paused for a moment or so, before sighing.

"It only seemed so logical, but at the same time impossible. But I can see now it might not be after all. I realized today that you're not some heartless monster from space. All this time I had lulled myself to believe that you were devoid of any… emotions. I had never imagined that my actions would hurt you so much, let alone expose that new side of you. You were my childhood dream come true, Zim. The only thing that motivated me and gave me something to look forward to everyday, and I repaid you today by calling you something nobody deserves to be called, even an alien like you."

I frowned slightly. I sort of understood what he was saying. It was a bit of a shock to me. This was a whole new side of the Dib. Then again, what he was basically telling me was that he had seen a whole new side of me as well. There was so many things each of us did not know or understand about each other. For five long years we had seen each other as nothing but the enemy. But now I was starting to realize that perhaps we did have more in common than we first thought.

"So… I truly am sorry for what I said before. I don't know how to show you that other than by standing here in front of you and telling you face to face. I don't even know if you will accept it. But I will be honest with you and say that I would rather you for a friend than an enemy. I've… always wanted that... but the only thing that stopped it ever happening was the fact you're here to destroy my world."

I couldn't bring myself to answer him, so I just stared. My enemy wanted my friendship. I knew deep inside I also wanted the same, but I couldn't just turn around and abort my mission. Dib was really the only motivation I had to continue thinking up brilliant new schemes. Because he was the one hyooman that cared enough to listen or stop me and it had been that way since we were younger. There was so much to comprehend. So much… I would give him an answer, however. It only seemed fair.

"Zim, has a lot on his mind, Dib. A lot of lot. My squeedily-spooch feels weird. I need time to think. You hurt Zim, quite a lot. Let Zim think. Think this over… I need to."

I knew I must have sounded stupid, but I really couldn't think straight. I just wanted to go home and rest before my PAK overloaded with all these strange new feelings and emotions I was starting to deal with. The Dib watched me intently.

"I… will see you tomorrow, Dib."

I looked at him before turning and starting to leave. I had no idea how to feel, let alone comprehend what had just happened. I could feel Dib staring at me as I left the area and disappeared from his view. Something was bothering me, and I stopped as I was about to turn the corner. I didn't know why, but I wanted to look at him one last time before I left. I wanted him to know that I had taken into consideration what he had told me and I wasn't going to just brush it aside. So that was why I went back and peered towards where the Dib had been standing.

But he had gone.