D.I.B (Devario, Iriatherina, Bio-human)

Chapter 7: Circumstances have Changed continued

By Glowzilla

Hey sorry you guys, that last chapter just seemed too short and I didn't really explain anything in good detail. So I made this chapter a bit longer and hopefully easier to understand on what's really going on. And I'd also like to give a shout-out to LittleBirdy* who posted a review. You are really close but I have an idea in mind on how I'm going to work it, so you're just going to have to sit back and enjoy. I'd also would like to thank Octopusfan13* and little miss fanfiction lover*, you guys are the best and I love all of your reviews. If any of you have any ideas for how I can make the story better, please don't hesitate to ask, I love constructive criticism. Read and review! ^_^

Zim slammed open Dibs door with a bang that echoed through the room, half sprinting inside with Ivan fast on his heels. What he saw didn't really surprise him for the possible outcomes he had running through his head, but the situation needed to be dealt with before someone got hurt. At least he's not dead, thought Zim grimly as he slowly walked towards the pool, his eyes fixed on what was happening towards the center of the tank.

Zim heard Ivan gasp by his side when he laid eyes on the situation, "what, what is that?!" the general breathed out. But Zim was more preoccupied with how to help out their fellow general who currently got himself into an eerie predicament.

There, in the middle of the pool stood Mika, the large leaves on top of the water suspending him and keeping him from sinking. His dark blue robes clung to his body, making Zim realize that his friend had somehow managed to get himself sopping wet. He was shivering on top of the leaves, his arms wrapped around his chest in a defensive manner, his red eyes showing how truly scared he was. Beneath him however, was where the real action was happening.

Below the surface of the water, electricity rippled like angry currents in a storm, the intensity of the volts enough to send spurts of water bubbling to the surface, as if the water itself was boiling. "What's causing this Zim? How the hell do we help him?" Ivan asked incredulously, beginning to pace by Zims side as he watched his friend helplessly caught in some sort of electrical malfunction.

Zim ignored his friend in favor of walking closer to the water, noting Mika's eyes kept staring at what he knew lay beneath the surface, the creature probably thinking of different ways to kill his intruder. Although when he reached the side of the pool so he could look down into the water, he definitely didn't expect to see what he was seeing.

Fish, a multitude of them, all swimming for their lives even through the electricity, were scattered throughout the tank. Large small, some of decent size, and an array of colors were whizzing around under the leaves, trying to get away from one of the most dazzling, terrifying creature they had probably ever laid eyes on.

Dib swam with the accuracy of a skilled dancer, his moves gracefully accentuating his body, the flared fins on his back made him look twice as large, and twice as deadly. The pure white of the fins continued to give off that rainbow effect in the light of the tank, while his tail made the colors more pronounced since it contained multiple shades of pinks, purples, greens and blues. But that's not all it did, Zim couldn't hold back his little gasp of awe as he witnessed the back of Dibs tail and his electric blue antenna begin to emit little volts of light that traveled through his body. It light him up in different variations of light that looked almost hypnotic.

The fish who had been busy scrambling around in the tank halted their movements as soon as the lights were emitted. They even seemed to go into a type of stasis, relaxing in the water as Dib easily swam between them, his large fins gliding him through the current of the water and wrapping around his body while he moved. He looked like he was dancing, performing a captivating show for the fish, until he made the first strike.

Zim knew, he knew that Dib preferred to eat live fish, it was healthier for him since then he wouldn't be susceptible to getting sick from a bad fish. He had been schooled by the professor that it wouldn't be good on Dibs digestive system if the fish weren't fresh, or if they had been sitting out for too long before consumption. Therefore it was easier if Dib had a dispensary of living fish that would empty into his tank at certain intervals. And since the fish were kept in a chamber that connected to the tank through a port in the wall, the fish could essentially live in the tank with Dib and were provided the same temperature and current ratios, they were just separate from the whole tank until they were allowed in during Dibs meal times.

But Zim had never witnessed the Dib eat, had never even considered watching him consume food since, first of all that would be slightly creepy if he just randomly asked Dib if he could watch how he consumed food, and secondly, because he just didn't think it would be this captivating.

"He really is a graceful killer," Zim muttered quietly to himself, easily enthralled to be watching such a magnificent display of agility, beauty, grace, and a predatory violence that shook Zim to his very core. Never had he seen such raw, instinctive power in anything that wasn't in a zoo or out in the wild. And here he was living with a creature that just oozed the name killer with his very form and existence.

But, he is also smart, he's also a child, a living being with a will and mind of his own, he who can choose for himself how he will live his life. That be it either as an animal, or as an intelligent life form.

Zim could feel his spine tingling as he watched the last of the fish get eaten off, there was hardly any blood in the water, but Zim could tell it was thanks to the Dibs gills. When he ate, he ingested more of the fishes body, where all of the nutrients were stored. The blood was unneeded, so instead of letting it filter out and fog up the water, Dib would bite into the fish and essentially suck out all of the blood, but he would let it drain into his gullet where it emptied into where water would go when filtered for oxygen. Blood has a certain amount of oxygen already, so by filtering it out, Dib was able to catch his breath while eating and be on the hunt in less than a minute between each fish.

Zim had read up on fish and their biology, it was hard to equate that with the Dib since Dib had more of a human side than fish, Zim figured it would be helpful for him to know at some point in case he needed to understand something or help Dib out in some way should the hybrid ever get sick.

Zim raised his eyes to look at Mika while Dib was busy hunting for more fish, only a slight opportunity before Dib regained himself and noticed Mika on top of the water. Only now there was a problem that Zim became painfully aware of when Mika moved slightly on the leaf.

He had a cut on his leg, and not just a cut, this was a large gash that Zim could make out through the side of his robe, the fabric sticking there where the blood had pooled against it. But now it was draining down his leg and into the water, collecting on top of the surface and dropping down, right in front of where Dib was hunting.

Mika briefly looked at Zim when he was done watching the creature below the surface, only to realize that Zim was looking at his leg. He had forgotten about his cut and looked down to see why Zim was staring at it. When he noticed the blood going into the water and the creature stop at least 25 feet below the leaf he had managed to get on did he realize what was going to happen next.

Dread filled Mika like an overflowing bucket, he needed to get off of that leaf! He needed to get out of the water!

Zim was already a step ahead of him, watching intently as Dib reared his head up to look at the kill spot, his eyes had turned pitch black, probably a sign that the smell of blood was keeping him locked in feeding mode. He wouldn't be aware of the fact that he was aiming to try and eat an Irken, a general no less who was trapped on top of his tank, unable to move for fear of electrocution.

Pak legs extending, Zim was positioned on the ledge of the tank, waiting to strike, resembling the praying mantis even more as his legs moved to the sides, ready to strike. He had to wait, wait for when Dib made his move. If he tried to grab Mika before Dib began to swim, the hybrid would have no problem grabbing Mika mid-air while Zim tried to rescue him. No, he had to wait, but it seemed Mika wasn't on the same page, his fear and uneasiness was causing him to panic and move too much on top of the leaf. It rippled under him, making waves along the surface as he tried to figure out where he could go.

"For tallest's Sake hold still Mika before you fall in!" Zim shouted, trying to watch Dib and his friend at the same time, getting ready to move when he realized he probably shouldn't have yelled.

Quicker than a flash Dib was swimming faster than Zim would have believed possible with his fins flared out up towards the surface. His eyes were open all the way as he locked onto the leaf that was making waves above the water. His target helpless in the middle of the tank, Dib opened his mouth just slightly, revealing a row of razor sharp teeth as he descended upwards at an incredible speed.

Mika was in a panic, Ivan was swearing all up in down in Irken as he ran around the sides of the tank, while Zim stayed where he was, waiting. He would only have a second, if he messed up, Mika was probably going to lose an arm. If he didn't, well, at least he could say his day wasn't boring.

It was so fast, yet it felt like slow motion, less than 8 seconds, it took Dib less than 8 seconds to breach the surface of the water from his depth of 25 feet, that had to be a record, Zim thought as he, the moment he saw the water break at the surface, plunged his Pak legs out and encircled Mika in their metal embrace. They coiled around his mid-section like snakes and pulled backwards at break neck speed. Mika was going to have whiplash no doubt about it, but it was a small price to pay for almost getting eaten.

Mika's gaze was transfixed on the creature that propelled out of the water, watching as the water sparkled off of its scales and fins, a rainbow of light dancing before his eyes. Black eyes and sharp teeth would surely haunt his dreams for days on end as he watched the creature just miss his leg by a hairs length, and then plummet back into the water below the surface.

Mika collided with Zim as Zim pulled him back towards land, they rolled several feet away from the tank before Ivan stopped them from colliding with the wall.

The breath had been knocked out of both of them, Zim could feel Mika's frantic breathing, his trembling frame, his sopping wet clothes. Even though Zims breathing seemed just as irregular, he was a bit more in control of himself, since he wasn't the one who almost got eaten.

Ivan helped them bot sit up before Zim recoiled his Pak legs back into his Pak, Making sure Mika was able to breathe again before he wacked him over the head.

"Ow! Hey!, what the hell was that for?!" Mika yelled, looking at Zim incredulously. "You stupid idiot," Zim said in a tone that sounded like a mother berating her child for running into traffic. "Were you even paying attention to your surroundings when you waltzed you're dumb uncomprehending ass in here, huh? I get that you were unhappy with the meeting and you wanted to wander around to blow off steam, but for tallest's sake do it with your damn eyes open and watch where your going! You walked right into this room without a second thought and probably fell into the pool didn't you!?" Zim didn't have to wait long before he saw the blush rise to Mika's cheeks, a sheer sign that Zim was right. It wasn't the first time that this had happened to Mika, everyone was used to it by now, but this was ridiculous. He was going to get himself killed if he didn't watch what he was doing. He would get so caught up in his thoughts that he would just let his body wonder, and he let himself wonder straight into the lion's den during feeding time.

Mika was smart, smart enough that he would stand out in a room full of intellectuals. He had brilliant strategies, and made many an escape route when there didn't seem to be any hope, but when he got hung up on a thought, well, it was like a wall came down over him and he couldn't see anyone else, he was in his own world.

At least now he didn't walk into stranger's homes anymore when he was done with work. He had enough mind to hire a driver who would pick him up from work and drive him home, then pick him up in the morning and drive him to work. After the 6th time of walking into the wrong house and going to the wrong job, Mika was pressured, (by Zim because he was the one who fixed everything Mika broke), to do something about his problem or Zim was going to shut him down in the bowls of his tower where he could roam endlessly until he learned his lesson.

Mika simply looked abashed as he sat huddled in his wet clothes before Zim, Ivan off to the side still breathing heavily from his mini panic attack he had almost a minute ago. Zim looked at Mika expectantly, waiting for the other to admit to his faults when he heard Ivan hiss.

Zim flashed Ivan a glare, thinking Ivan was trying to stick up for Mika when he noticed Ivan wasn't looking at them.

Turning back around to face out towards the pool, Zim watched as, now bright gold eyes, peered at them from above the water. Black hair forming around a pale face, Dib seemed at a loss, not comprehending why there were 3 Irkens having an argument in his room.

Dib recognized Zim right away, but he didn't know who the other two were, or why the one in purple robes was hissing at him. They were in his room after all, but he stayed quiet, waiting for Zim. He learned the last time he growled or hissed that it wouldn't have the desired effect like it did on the humans. Besides, the one in blue robes that was all wet seemed more freaked out than any of them, running behind Zim the minute those red eyes landed on him. They both looked like Zim, but the one in blue robes had dull red eyes, they didn't shimmer like Zims did when the light hit them. They didn't have the silver specks flecked through them that gave them a starry effect. The one in purple robes looked like Zim but more in stature, he held himself like Zim but didn't have the same air of authority. Zim walked with a bolstering confidence that would have anyone backing down to. Plus, his eyes were purple, they matched his robes, it was a nice color, but they didn't stand out compared to Zim.

Zim stood quickly and punched Ivan in the arm, hissing at him to shut up while he waved me over to the side of the pool, giving me the go ahead to come closer while the other two Irkens seemed to do a backpedal for the door.

"Z-Zim what are you doing?!" screeched the one in blue, somewhat hiding behind the one in purple as he tried to make the decision of grabbing his friend and running or staying to yell at Zim. "That things dangerous! Why the hell do you have it in your home?!" Dib felt a slight sting at that but ignored it when Zim huffed a laugh at his friend. "It's not the first time someone tried to kill you Mika, and it definitely won't be the last." He turned to give his friend a mocking smile as he neared the edge of my tank, drawing closer to me, "Besides, we've already established this whole incident was your fault considering you don't watch where you're going. Now both of you, since the dramatics have passed, front and center, I'd like to introduce you to my new house mate. He's here granted on a basis of asylum after being transported from his home planet Earth, and will be staying with me for the duration of his time on planet Irk under my care."

Zim said it with a wave of his hand, coaxing his acquaintances to come closer as he gave the introductions. The one in blue was still hiding, but the one in purple had at least stopped hissing and didn't look like he was going to jump out and rip someone's head off. They both inched closer to Zim, keeping a safe distance from the edge, but close enough to be within arms-reach of their tallest.

"Mika, Ivan, I'd like to introduce you to Dib, Dib these are my friends and acting generals of Irks military forces, Mika Heshval, and Ivan Iszara.

Dib had already pulled himself up onto the ledge of the tank and out of the water, curving his body around his tail so he could face the two new comers. He wasn't close enough to Zim to feel discomfort at the moment, but he was close enough that if he reached his arm out, he could almost feel the black silk of the robes the Irken was wearing.

Fins already pulled down and scales lying flat, Dib regarded the two Irkens with an inquisitive stare, trying to figure out what Zim had meant when he told the one in blue, Mika, that it wasn't the first time someone tried to kill him. Did he try to kill him at some point? He couldn't remember ever even seeing this person before.

But it was feeding time a moment ago, Dib remembered, and Mika was definitely wet, with a bleeding leg, oh crap.

Dib could feel his face become hot as embarrassment took over, did he attack Mika? Is that why he's scared of me?

Dib looked at Zim with a worried expression, "Did I, Did I try and eat him or something? Was he in the tank while I was eating?"

Ivan and Mika both gasped in unison at hearing the terrifying creature speak, their draws collectively dropping as Zim just nonchalantly shrugged his shoulders. "It's his own fault for walking in here, he wasn't paying attention to where he was going and walked straight into the pool. You were eating and didn't know, it's not your fault, so don't let his idiocy make you feel bad for something you naturally do."

Dib felt a little better at Zims words, but still felt guilt roiling around in his stomach. He looked over at the two with a worried stare, noticing Mika was no longer hiding, and Ivan was just staring at him like he had two heads.

"I'm uh, sorry if I scared you," Dib said as he addressed Mika who took a hesitant step towards him, becoming aware of how close he really was to these beings and feeling the predator inside of him rear its head. He wanted distance from them, he wanted to back away but he forced himself to be calm, he didn't need to make enemies on his second day of being a resident of Irk. He had just attacked someone, not that he knew mind you, but all the same, he didn't want them to fear him, not by much anyway.

"I already told you it's not your fault", Zim seemed to ground out in exasperation, running his hand through his antenna to settle them from vibrating. He didn't need Dib to feel bad for Mika's own mistakes, the hybrid already felt out of place and depressed, he didn't need to be reinforced by it because someone couldn't keep their head out of the clouds. "Yeah but…" Dib bit his lip when it looked like Zim would go on a rant when Mika chimed in.

"No, no, Zim's right it's completely my fault!" Mika rushed out, antenna up at attention as he regarded Dib in a new light. "Please miss, you don't have to worry about it, I'm useless when I think too much and seemed to have gotten myself into a bad predicament. But it is most definitely not your fault."

Dib and Zim both cocked their heads to the side and repeated in unison, "Miss?"

"Why yes, a lady such as you should never have to apologize for a man's wrongdoing. I am deeply moved that I received the chance to meet such a fine creature from a distant planet, and hope that you enjoy your stay here on Irk." Mika seemed to become a different person when he was convinced that the being before him wasn't planning on eating him, and was, in fact, a lovely, intelligent being.

Dibs blush grew till it was all the way down his neck while Zim couldn't seem to hold back his laughter. He thinks I'm a girl! Dib thought, looking away in embarrassment when Ivan just shook his head at Mika.

"What did I say?" Mika asked, looking lost while his friends laughed at his expense. "Y-you do realize," Zim tried to wheeze out past his growing laughter, watching Dib try and hide his face in his long hair, "That the lady you are referring to is actually a guy, right?"

Now there was a color change no one was expecting. Mikas face seemed to erupt into a deep purple blush that almost covered his whole head, his antenna which were up at attention fell down like limp noodles that touched his shoulders. He looked like a kicked puppy, Zims laughter didn't seem to help and Ivan just shook his head.

"I gotta go clear my head!" Mika yelled, and then he was off, out the door faster than anyone had seen him run in years.

"Please tell me you don't have any more surprises here in the tower Zim, I'd hate to have to pull him outta another close call." Ivan said when Zims laughter died down. "No, only Dib and the janitorial staff live in the tower, not including myself, he shouldn't run into any more danger unless he goes into Gidgets room. That girl does not know when to stop playing with broken robots." He said it with a shudder, shaking his head as he regarded Dib with an apologetic expression.

"I'm sorry you had to meet my friends like this, I would have preferred you met them on your own time, in a better setting, when you were more comfortable being around others, but…. Well, things never seem to go the way we plan, and I'm sorry if this has distressed you."

Ivan gave Zim a dumbfounded look, his eyes enlarging just slightly as he took in his friends words. In all his life of knowing Zim, through when they were in the war together, marooned on deserted planets, and at the door of death himself, he never once heard Zim apologize for anything, even if the wrong was his own fault. He was a mediator, a truth seeker, but never one to apologize.

And here he gave it to this creature as if it were the easiest thing in the world. He smiled a little smile as he watched the conversation with a keen eye, looks like Zim found something he really wants to keep all to himself. Ivan thought, watching Dib smile at Zim in reassurance that he wasn't affected by the little incursion, even saying that he wouldn't mind if they wanted to visit him again, but only if he wasn't feeding or in a bad mood. Sometimes his electrical current had a mind of its own when it came to emotions.

If he was too overwhelmed, his body would generate enough electricity to power a large tower, much like Zims, and if he were to be touched, that person would get the shock of their lives.

Zim looked relieved with that incident over and done with, bidding a farewell to Ivan as the general left Zim and the hybrid to their own devices. Going off instead to search for Mika and take his aloof carcass home, that was enough crazy for one day.

As soon as Ivan left Zim heaved a sigh and lowered himself onto the floor in front of Dib who watched him with a sharp eye.

"What a day," Zim whined, leaning against the I-Pad stand while he cracked his neck and back, taking a moment to relax his mind from all of the events that had occurred.

"It's only 3 in the afternoon," Dib corrected, watching Zim get comfy on the floor and feeling safe enough around the Irken to allow his own body to relax, stretching his tail out so he could run his fingers through his scales, cleaning them while he watched Zim out of the corner of his eye.

"I realize what time it is, but I've had a pretty rough afternoon and with all the excitement going on on top of what our meeting was about, I feel completely drained." Zim was surprised at himself actually, he never use to complain about work, or about how much he had to do, he liked it when he lost track of time with what he was doing. Maybe his age was finally catching up to him, or maybe he needed a vacation. Being around death and destruction for too long can drive a man insane, that and piles of work that needed to be sifted through, Zim just wanted to take a nap, to drift off for a moment before he had to get back to reality. He would take that vacation, when the slave traders were caught and dealt with and the world was back in working order. Head even bring Dib along so the hybrid could see all of Irk with him, he had an idea for how to get him to move around without having to transport a big metal tub, but he'd figure out the specifics later.

"You wanna talk about it?" Dib asked, feigning interest when he felt a lull in the conversation, he didn't know why, but he felt better whenever he talked to Zim, and moved to look at him when he didn't answer right away.

"Zim?" Dib asked again, looking at the Irken who had his eyes closed and beck resting on the I-Pad stand.

"Did you seriously fall asleep?" Dib asked out loud, waiting for Zim to open his eyes and yell gotcha! But when he didn't, Dib felt something prickle at his skin. This was the first time anyone ever slept in front of him, not that the scientists didn't sometimes doze off on their desks during a boring day at work, but he was never in the company of anyone who would dare get this close to him and fall asleep.

Here Zim was, the tallest of the Irken world, the leader, and he fell asleep in front of what could be considered a hostile creature.

The thought made Dib giddy. I wonder how deep of a sleeper he is, Dib said to himself, reaching for Zims robes before he could think better of his idea. Grabbing a fistful of the material and pulling until Zim was lying flat on the floor, his pack making a little think sound when he landed too hard.

A deep sleeper, Dib mused, crawling closer to the being in front of him, taking his chance to get a good up-close and personal look at the Irken within his reach.

He wasn't going to do anything, he was just going to look, he didn't want to hurt this creature who took him in and gave him a home, he wasn't an animal. But it was the thought that Zim actually fell asleep in front of him, knowing he could potentially kill him that had Dib awe struck. He either trusts me not to kill him or he's really really tired, Dib guessed, getting closer to Zim and staring at his face, moving his eyes down the lithe form to watch the slow rise and fall of his chest.

I wonder, I wonder if his skin is smooth, it certainly looks like it is, but it could be prickly, or rubbery, or… something. Dib started, his mind beginning to take in the opportunity to examine his house mate while he was asleep. Dib had always loved to touch things, to take things apart, to see how they worked. And although he would never dream of cutting anything open, he would find fascination in seeing scans taken of animals and of people to see how their insides worked. Dib wondered if he could somehow get Zim to get him a scan of the Irken body so Dib could see how they worked. To learn more about these alien creatures.

But for now, Dib mustered up enough courage to decide he was going to allow contact between him and Zim, just to state his curiosity on whether his skin was soft.

That's all I'm going to do, Dib reasoned with himself, reaching out with a shaky hand to initiate first contact.

Ok, it's a little past midnight and I can't keep my eyes open for too much longer. I probably ended this one too fast to, but I'll make sure to continue with my explanations in the next chapter. I still have a lot to go over but all in all, that was a fun little ride. Read and review and if you guys have any ideas you wanna throw at me, give em a whorl and send them my way. ^_^ Thanks for reading.