I found myself in a world I recognized. Red sky. Reddish-brown dirt under my feet. I looked down in my arms, and sure enough there were the same smeets curled there. This was the same dream from a week ago, only there was one small difference. Zim stood in front of us, his clothes were torn and blood seeped though in some places, however his face was determined and unwavering. I trembled. What exactly was happening? Suddenly a gun shot rang out and I saw Zim fall with Dib holding a gun few meters away. Tears clouded my vision and all was dark.
I awoke with a start, gripping at the collar of my uniform. Tears flooded my eyes but I fought them back. 'It was just a dream, just a dream!' I sat up on the couch and looked around. I noticed that the windows were black, same with the room. "It must be night." I got up off the couch and paced towards the elevator. I stepped in and it lowered me down into the magenta shaded metal of Zim's base. I closed my eyes and breathed out. Creeping out, I stalked quietly down the hall and to the lab. I heard talking coming from the room. I listened carefully.
"You are so stupid! I cannot believe you didn't say anything! Argh!" The angry voice became small. "What is this feeing anyway? Every time I'm near her, I get this feeling, leaving me tingly all over! Zim does not understand why he feels this way for her!" He huffed. "Maybe my Pak is malfunctioning..." I heard him beginning to tap at buttons on a console.
I gulped. 'This feeling, what is it? I feel light and happy at the same time. Could it be...?' I peeked around the corner and saw Zim's antenna rise as he turned his head towards the door. I ducked back in quickly.
"Who is there?"
'What to do now? I guess I have no choice.' I stepped out into the doorway, grinning innocently. "It's just me."
A bright emerald blush spread across his cheeks. "Um, did you hear any of that?"
"Any of what?" I gave a false confused look.
"Never mind." He turned back to the consol and began typing again.
I blushed lightly and came to stand behind him. "What're you looking at?" I saw a radar screen with approximately 30 different dots on it.
"That's how many members are in this area."
"How far does the radar go out?"
He sighed. "About as far as the Skool."
My eyes widened. "What about the other twenty?"
He typed a code into the computer and the circles for the radar came out quicker and closer together. A ring of 20 dots surround the other dots.
"Oh, Irk..." I covered my mouth with my hands.
"They've pin pointed our exact location now."
I looked away. "I've put you in this position, and now you could get hurt because of me. I'm so pathetic." He twisted his chair around to face me and stood up. "I let you stay here, knowing full well of the consequences! So don't you say this is your fault!" His eyes burned with anger.
I looked up at him. "You don't understand Zim..." Taking in a shaky breath and talking quieter. "...you don't understand..."
"Then tell me, tell me what I don't understand!"
I gulped. "I can't, I don't want to hurt you even more..." I bolted through the door and into the elevator.
"Mela!"
Tears sprung from my eyes as I reached the surface and ran out the door and into the street. I stopped at an intersection from the sounds of footsteps behind me. Whipping around to see Zim racing towards me.
"Mela! Stop! Are you insane?"
I brought out a gun from a holster on my hip and pointed it at him. "Stay back!"
He slowed to a walk and put his hands palm- out in front of him and above his head. "Easy Mela, you don't want to shoot me."
I trembled, my hands shaking with the gun.
"I'm not going to hurt you." He inched closer and reached out for the gun.
I jumped back, firing a shot near his head.
However, he just stood there, unaffected. He took another step forward.
I fired another shot, missing him again. Tears ran down my cheeks.
He stood over me now.
I fell over but still pointed the barrel at his head.
"Easy Mela." He pulled the gun away from his face and began to pry my fingers off of it. Bending down, he used both hands to restrain me, tossing the gun aside.
"Let me go!" I struggled against his iron hard grip.
"Not until you calm down and agree to go back to the base!"
"Never!" I growled and struggled harder. "Gr! Let go!"
"Not until you calm down!" He pushed me down to the ground, pinning my ankles now as well.
"Stop it!" I grunted as I attempted to pull my wrists out from under his hand. "Ugh! I'm going to kill you when I get free!"
"You don't really mean that!"
"Maybe not, but just the same, LET! GO!"
"Not in a million years!"
"We won't even live that long!"
"Exactly!"
I gave him a confused look and stopped struggling. I felt my tears dry up and my body relax. "I'm sorry I shot at you. I didn't know what I was doing..."
He pushed himself off of me and stood up, holding his hand out to me. "It's okay."
I pulled myself up into a sitting position and took his hand. However, before he could pull me up, a gun shot rang out and grazed the top of my forearm. I screamed out in pain and clutched my arm.
Zim crouched down beside me and removed my hand.
Blood seeped through the clothing where it was torn revealing the flesh. My face blanched and the tears flowed again. I gritted my teeth and brought out some anesthetic and gauze out of my Pak. I ripped open the package of ointment with my teeth and splattered it one to the cut. The cream stung few a few seconds then it dulled to a numbing level. Then I unraveled the gauze and began to tape my arm with it. "There, that's better, but now I can't use my left arm."
"Are you sure you're alright?"
"Yeah." A weak smile formed on my lips, but I winced in pain. "It's nothing." I stood up and scanned the surroundings. "Now, where did that shot come from?"
Suddenly a bush rustled and I was tackled from behind. I screamed as I fell to the pavement. "Ah! Get off me!"
"Get off of her you filthy creature!" Zim tried to pull himself away from two Vortian soldiers. One of them brought out a taser and zapped him. He fell limp and they dropped him to the ground.
"ZIM!" I struggled harder against my captivator. "Let go of me!"
"You ran away. Now you are going to pay with your life by the hand of our leader." A sharp pain was applied to my spine and I blacked out.
