Ch4pt3R_88: Defectiv3 - M1nD
"G-guys-!" Dib twirled around, one hand holding Zim's shaking shoulder behind him; hoping desperately that they haven't noticed him yet. Dib pushed up his glasses but it made no difference, his sweat made his nose a water-slide. "I-I couldn't help it!" The elder curly red-headed teen looked down at them only with his eyes, no turn of head. Torque followed but kept distance.
"COULDN'T HELP IT?" He spat, making both Zim and Dib freeze. "Are you fucking kidding me?" Dib swallowed, he only sent Gir to deliver the homework, what the hell did the robot do?
"Aren't you guys overreacting?" Before the teen could shout again, a smaller voice peeped from behind.
"N-no!"
Shutting his eye's and bitting his lower lip Dib cursed himself. If Zim wasn't noticed before, he sure was now.
"Who is this?" Dib didn't have time to protest as he was grabbed bone crushingly by his right shoulder and was shoved into the brick wall.
"Dib!"
"I thought you said this bastard was a nobody!" He turned on his brother as Dib slid to the ground.
"He is Trevor! That's just Zim, another nobody!" Torque backed away nervously.
Zim ran over to Dib with tears in his eyes, his mind in udder chaos of thought. "Dib?" Zim's wide eyes looked into Dib's who seemed to have no focus of the world. "Dib?" Zim shook him softly, "D-Dib!" his eye's widened to the blood trickle that ran down Dib's forehead. "D-Dib? P-please... no!" he whispered and shook Dib again. Dib's eyelids fluttered as he fell to the floor. "D-Dib?"
"Are you some sort of a emo gay freak?" Zim felt himself picked up, "Hey Torque hold 'em." and Zim was tossed into the air again. Memories of pain and a pole ran through his mind he curled up but instead he was caught in rough callused hands. "You got 'em?"
"Yeah."
"Hold him up good so I can give him a good beating."
"But bro, Zim had nothing to do with this!"
"If he's with Dib, he's every fucking thing with this!"
"K..." As much as Zim yanked, this wasn't Dib he was fighting against. This was a kid who lifted weights every day to impress his older brother.
Wait...!
"What's on his bag? Duct tape? Is he a gay punk too?" He strutted over hands out in front.
"No! Nooo! No!" Zim kicked his legs fiercely at Trevor but they both got grabbed by one large hand. His other hand pulled back cracking into a rock-hard fist. In under a second, Zim saw the fist blur. The last thing Zim heard was a crack.
The first thing Dib heard when he woke was a clack.
Though he was the farthest thing from cold, he was shaking all over. Adjusting his glasses, he watched Trevor pull the duct tape off of Zim PAK and then try to open the PAK itself.
"The fucking thing won't open!" He ripped Zim from Torque's grip making him flinch and step back when he slapped Zim to the ground.
'Oh my god...!' Dib pushed himself to his feet, but it was much too soon as the world fell into simple shapes and danced about him. "Z-Zi-" Holding back the gurgling vomit in his throat, his arms reached out to anything to prevent his collapse. He felt other hands squeeze his shoulders. Dazed, Dib tried to focus to the wavering figure above.
"This is for mom you bastard!"
Bro, did you see? Yea, that wasn't Dib! Shit! Who the hell was that? I don't know, I- I don't know... Don't start breaking up on me! I- I'm sorry! Oh my god... Oh my god...
Memory recovery. Zzzzt-t-t-t ...
You jerk!
Memory reLapse. Unit must self-destruct. No! Code REwritten. I am Zim! Need (no) code over right, defective. Termina473. No, I am... me. Please...
"Release the Dib-stink, sharin-k-k in nigth! Pathetic hyumans!"
Both froze, but neither obeyed Zim's order in time. Impatient spider legs flew from the PAK and thrust themselves into Torque's and Trevor's backs, neither had time to scream as they were thrown far over Zim's head and over a rooftop. "Foolish inferiors..." Zim growled, anger growing as the legs folded themselves back into place in his PAK. A feeble groan began to dissipate the anger. When Zim turned his focus to Dib, it dropped right there.
"Dib?" Zim picked up Dib's surprisingly unbroken glasses on his way to Dib's back which faced Zim. Commanding his PAK again, the legs zoomed out and carefully turned the Dib, creating a larger puddle of red liquid to pour into the crevasses and cracks of the cold cement.
Such a sight stung Zim's eyes; such a sight made his Squeedly Spooch turn and twist in the most painful of positions. "D-Dib?" he choked, forcing himself to look at the clouds who's dark Grey bodies swelled dangerously with water. A few warning drops came down, tapping the ground lightly.
Pulling off his wig, he used it to soak up the blood on Dib. Ripping all the pieces of Gaz's jacket, he tied them around the pressure points he remembered learning somewhere... a smelly room called Health class.
"D-Dib..." Zim's voice trembled in his ear. "We need t-to... we need to..." He couldn't fight it anymore, the last time he messed with his PAK's emotion virus was weeks ago. Iridescent liquid poured down his cheeks, giving a look much like when gasoline mixes with water. He placed his head gently on Dib's, sobbing. Somewhere in his mind, a laugh was heard in the term of events. He was out of the way, nothing to stop him... What is wrong with me? He helped me!
Zim's mission is now secure! Finnish him off!
What mission? No! There must be another way!
Unit fully a-a-aa-acting on defective program. Must preForm emergency ac-k-k-kt.
Zim fell back from Dib as he was electrocuted by his PAK.
Unit will not resist pUrific-k-k-k-k-kation.
"N-nooo-oo!" Zim shut his eyes, feeling the icy poison of water on his face. "I want to LIVE!"
Defectiv3, you will d13 in honor.
Lights danced around Zim as the electric blue burned his flesh. "What sort of honor is this? I'd rath- Eaughck!" Zim crashed into loosely tied up garbage bags as another spark erupted from his PAK. "T-take this!" He swung an empty vodka bottle.
KURTCH!
UNLock.
His PAK fell to the floor, red numbers in his mind set up the ten minute warning, Zim turned to the PAK and opened it contents. 09:46. Spider legs sprang out to protect itself as he searched the unorganized pack that he himself had redesigned to help prevent him from thinking... 09:11, 08:47, defective. A patch of yellow and orange stripes 08:10, the last and only chip not redesigned by him... 07:58. He is Zim... 07:47. He was... 07:42. Removing it would remove his licence-
07:35
07:34
07:33
He ripped it out. Gabbing the glass bottle once again he bashed it against the chip. 07:26. Fragments flew, 07:13. Even as the PAK started strangling him he didn't stop till the chip became fine power and then a bubbling liquid as the rain broke out into a violent storm, 06:43, the overwhelmed PAK collapsed beside him, overflowing with water. 06:35. Staggering up, Zim picked up his PAK and poured out the acid before placing it back were it belonged. 06:27.
Set and locked.
Ktch! Thhh... tk-k-k-k-k... Eruasssed... myyynd gaaymes... shhhh-kt-k-k-kt-Erkin.
Kshhhhhhh... ouuuu...
Stumbling over, Zim stood over Dib. Mind muddled in pains of recurring memories and programs as the PAK began it's work again, telling the unconscious body how to live.
"Zim doesn't give up... and neither shall you."
Picking Dib up as carefully as he could, Zim began pulling him out of the alleyway and towards something familiar, home.
...
"My Tallest! My Tallest! I have the news of a lifetime!" A communications officer ran up throwing himself on the floor before them, hoping they would forgive his sudden interruption.
"Really?"
"Comfimue." Purple said through mashed fries.
"Code pack: n33Dt0L1V3/Fr3 is offline!"
"Irkens die every day. What so special about this one?" Red crossed his arms.
"Hey, I'm trying to eat fries here." Purple pointed out.
"Sir, code: n33Dt0L1V3/Fr3 is Zim!" Purple spews his chewed fries on top of Red.
"Sweet mother of Irk! He's dead?" they exclaimed in unison, Red more or less so disgusted.
".........."
"Whoa, sorry there..."
...
Masta! What happened to mah masta? Augh! Stay away you freak! Squeak! That goes for you too! Zim your PAK status said you died. Zim is far from death as you see! Ahhh!!! Silents! AHHH!!! Now tell me why I know I can get help here! Zim, this is your base. What happened to Mary? CHICKEN! Please help me, I don't know if Dib will...! Get out! GET OUT! Noooooo! But I wanna watch the scary monkey shoooow! I demand that you help Zim! Meh! Keep that thing away from Zim! Mary had a little lamb, little lamb, little...
Irken...?
I hate you.
Yay!
I... I just don't know anymore... Just,. don't die... just don't... please... Dib...
In a violent sneeze, Dib woke up to a television lit room, the screen played black and white flashes, it's volume was soft whips through the living room giving it the essence as if it were a chapel. The horrible wallpaper told him that he was in Zim's house.
Dib sifted himself up on the pillow and blanket ridden couch. The ice bag on his head slid off and rolled over by a familiar green two-toed foot.
"Zim?" The little Irken who was on the opposite side of the couch made no response, his tear streaked face was nearly dry. His head was tilted back, with small puffs of breath admitting and dismissing from his ajar mouth.
"Zim?" he asked a little louder. Zim as it seemed, was sound asleep. "Well I shouldn't disturbe you, I guess..." as he reached for the remote in Zim's hand. As the slim fingers felt the remote leave his grasp, he sat up and aimed the laser gun he had in his left to Dib's head.
You jerk!
"Whoa, Zim!" Dib attempted to rise his hands in the air but the sore, cramped, scared muscles told him otherwise. "Ahh! Ouch..."
"Oh... sorry Dib, I thought it was the insane robot coming back for more..." Zim tossed the gun behind the couch with a clunk.
"You mean Gir?" Dib rubbed his arms, "That might explain my weird dreams... wait! Zim! You can speak English!"
"Si."
"What all do you remember?"
"Nothing much..." he mumbled, as he aimed the remote to the television and turned it off, leaving only the moonlight shining through the purple curtains, the open refrigerator in the next room, and Zim's left eye that emitted a pale maroon glow as the only sustainable light.
"A little of everything from everywhere... I don't think I have a nice life."
"You don't think-? Why?"
"Every memory I have is so full of... full of lonely."
"Lonely?" Dib scooted closer to Zim.
"Just Zim and himself. I seem to try to fix my PAK constantly to remove these viruses-"
"Viruses? Zim, are you sick-?"
"Stop interrupting Zim and he will tell!" He spat into Dib's face.
"K..." He scooted back, wiping his face. "Sorry..."
"I remember that a properly functioning Irken has feelings like all other beings. They are just toned down to a point were they aren't much of a problem. Something wasn't done right with me... my PAK. I can't stop creating these... strong emotions. And... Zim thinks... Zim thinks Zim broke a non replaceable chip..." he rubbed his arms nervously, "He also thinks that not many like him."
Zim was also right, but Dib couldn't bring himself to tell him yet. So instead he nodded along.
"And someone in my head keeps calling me a jerk." he pointed to himself as his antennae dropped nearer to his face.
"A jerk?" Dib tried to not feed to much into that remark, he knew very well who Zim was talking about.
"Yes, the voice sounds very much like yours."
An awkward silence grew between the two, both aware that each mind trying to race towards something... but what was there to gain? Memories... memories aren't forgotten lightly... trails aren't easily disguised by those who are familiar. Zim gripped tightly at the blankets thinking, nothing is aloud to get past him without his saying so. Nothing is aloud rights to make him act the way he acted now. But he couldn't get the answers from himself...
"Dib?"
"Yea?"
"Zim knows you know!" Suddenly he was inches to Dib, who caught off-guard made him feel embarrassed. "When I was found in that alleyway by you I knew your name! Why is this? Why your name and nothing else but MINE?"
"Z-Zim! Wha-? I-I!"
"Not even of this 'mission' that I'm supposed to accomplish!" Zim roared grabbing Dib's collar with his right while his left wove around, now they were waaaaay too close for Dib, he felt the heat rising from his face.
"Zim....!"
"I feel like I'm suppose to be above something! Why do these feelings hurt so much?" they were so close now that Dib could swear that they were breathing each other's exhaled air.
"...Zim!"
"Dib...! I feel like I'm getting nowhere!"
"Z-Zim!"
"Every time I think of you-"
"ZIM!"
"WHAT?"
"Let me get a word in, dammit!" Dib grabbed Zim's hands and yanked them off his collar. Zim's eyes began to tear up again. "Zim...?"
"What ever it was, Zim is sorry!" he cried into Dib's chest. "Zim doesn't wanna be a jerk!"
What?
"Zim..." Dib sighed, patting Zim's head and antennae. "I... I'm..." he was interrupted by a sudden clicking purr, he stopped patting and it began to silents itself.
"Oh yea, you purr when your happy right?" he gave a weak chuckle and stroked the antennae again, creating the soft, safe atmosphere again.
I'm... I'm sorry too.
