Dib ran right smack into the grinder, causing him to fall backwards; disorientated. However the grinder still snagged his foot and with a deafening slam crushed his ankle bone. He screamed long and pain-filled. Tears poured from his eye as he clutched his leg in desperation. Then he looked up. The grinder was over his head, stuck in mid-air. Sirens sounded and he heard a yelling voice.
"Who shut off the grinder?!" Zim's angry stomps were heard from above him on a metal walkway up at the top. "Who dares disrupt my factory line?"
Dib heard a different pair of feet running, even faster than Zim's. He could tell by their loud stomps that the person was a worker and the only worker that had access to the upstairs stairwell was... "Dib," a female voice called, "Get moving!"
"Amanda?" Dib looked up and saw the back of her curly red hair bouncing away from his vision; she turned and showed her gray eyes, "Go!" But Dib couldn't move. His ankle was broken and every breath he took caused him a pinch in the chest. He then heard Zim's footsteps get closer so he got to his foot and began hopping away Zim stopped a few feet behind him and smirked, now walking slowly. Dib gasped and hopped even faster. Zim ran after him and clutched him by the throat. Dib gagged and clawed at Zim's grip frantically. Zim was unforgiving; he pulled him to the edge of the conveyor belt. Below him was the cooker, whose sharp blades were still churning the meat. Zim's goggles were removed when he looked up at him; a wild strawberry eye stared back at him as a single violet contact cracked from wear.
"Why… are you wearing… your disguise?" Dib croaked between breaths.
Zim loosened his grip, "What kind of question is that?"
"Why… are you… wearing your disg… uise?" Dib persisted.
"Why must you know, Dib?" Zim searched his eyes for any sign of escape, there was none?
"Just… a question."
Zim shoved Dib up against a pole, "There's no reason."
Dib hung silently in Zim's grip, waiting for an acceptable answer.
"Fine. Fine! I decided to keep it on, okay?" he admitted.
"Why?" Dib's breathless question sounded.
"It reminded me." Zim glared at the ground.
"Of what?"
Zim just kept his head down then raised it, his eyes forming a death glare, "Why I started this whole thing."
He released Dib and the boy came falling down to his knees. He was given a second to breath until a large boot kicked him in the rib-cage. He fell onto his back and groaned. "You pathetic little thing. I should have killed you when I had the chance." Zim kicked him again, knocking him back a few feet. "You thought you and that wretched worker could escape?" Dib shook his head but the alien didn't notice or didn't care because he kicked him once again. Dib's head was hanging over the edge, his scythe drooping directly over the cooker.
"Dib look at you, you're so desperate. Desperate to live the life you know you hate. If I were you I'd be glad to die." Zim crossed his arms.
'Don't let him get to you!' Dib's head screamed
"Think about it, did your family ever really love you?" Zim asked him, walking over to his side.
"Yes, Gaz didn't show it but she… no never mind, she hated my guts. But Dad! Dad always dragged about me being his… poor insane son…" he drifted off.
"See what I mean? Must I go further?" Zim gestured towards him.
"Agent Darkbooty liked me!" Dib said.
"Agent who?" Zim turned.
"You heard him, Agent kissyourbuttgoodbye!" Amanda cried out as she jumped down to the conveyor belt. She landed right on top of Zim who was groaning from under her.
"Say goodbye you big green snot." Amanda brought out a shotgun and pointed it in his face.
Dib stared in shock, watching the scene unfold before him.
His startled expression changed when he heard a low chuckle come down from below him.
"You honestly think that a puny Earth weapon can damage my superior body?" Zim smirked.
Amanda fired; shooting Zim in the arm. A surprised scream came from the small figure. He looked down to see his arm bleeding out a green substance.
"I always did wonder what color your blood was." Dib looked at it in wonder.
Zim clutched his injured arm and struggled to hold down a groan. "You're going to die for that." He then charged for Amanda. She didn't jump out of the way in time; Zim pushed her off the conveyor belt.
Dib screamed out, "Amanda!"
From under them they felt an un-nerving grasp going from bar to bar. Amanda was climbing her way back up. She hopped over the railing, breathless but alive.
"So you survived?" Zim turned her way, "You're just too stubborn to cooperate. Guess I'm going to have to do it by force!" he took out an Irken gun and shot at Amanda's stomach.
She screeched and flew backwards, clutching what wasn't annihilated by the laser. Blood was soaking through her lab coat and it was going fast.
Dib rushed over to her and shook her, "Amanda! Are you okay?"
Amanda opened her eyes and looked up at Dib, "Dib. Run. Run and find my daughter. You saw her on the first night. Run as fast as you can."
Dib looked down at his broken ankle, "I-I can't my ankle…"
"You see those two pipes over there?" Amanda gestured towards them.
Dib turned his head and spotted them, "Yeah."
"Rip them out and use them as crutches. Now, go." Amanda pushed him away.
Dib looked down, hurt, at her, "But what about you?"
"I'll be fine. Meet you… on the other side."
"What do you mean by-"he stared down at her gray eyes as they closed shut. Her lips relaxed and her body became heavier.
"No. No no no. NO!" Dib cried out in a mix of sadness and anger.
Zim, a few feet from him, lay laughing.
Dib turned to him, his eyes glowing with malice. He stormed over to the fallen alien and took hold of his shot arm. Zim tried to yank it back but Dib's grip was harder, built by pure hatred and his arm came clean off. Tendons, muscles, and blood came from the open wound.
Zim screamed in searing pain, howling and clutching his shoulder blade. "Dib! You filthy… pig! You dare do this to Zim?!"
"And so much more." Dib answered back confidently. He then proceeded to kick Zim back as he did to hmm. The Irken bent over and coughed up blood.
"What do you think you're doing?" Zim shouted to the human. But he wasn't listening, he kicked him again. "Stop this this instant or I will-"another kick. His head was hanging over the cooker.
Dib said seven words of ironic proportions and stomped on Zim's spooch, "What I should have done years ago. " With a final kick Zim was sent head first into the burning boiler pot. Dib could hear his screams of terror from down below, staring down at the terrified alien with no compassion or regret in his eyes.
"Dib!" Zim called his name but was cut off when a slicer got a hold of his torso and cut it clean open. After that no more words came from Zim's mouth.
