Chapter 11: Lab slaves

Ms Bitter' class was doing a lab that day, so the entire class room was scrambled to pieces. Desks were in semi ordered groups, or simply thrown across the room. Children were grabbing test tubes in their grubby little hands, mixing chemicals and breaking equipment. Dib had given up a long time ago complaining to Ms. Bitters that they were all way too young to be starting chemistry.

When lab partners were being picked, Dib had just about jumped into Miira's arms. Within thirty seconds, everyone had gotten a partner, except Zim. He had looked rapidly about, until finally seeing un-partnered Sara, who had been trying to avoid doing the lab at all.

Dib and Miira sat at the front of the room, and Zim sat at the back, watching them. When he looked at Miira, he no longer saw her pig-human disguise, but envisioned her beautiful irken self. He had wondered all night (literally, he hadn't slept at all) why he hadn't captured her and made her a prisoner. It made no sense; why would he, superior Zim let go of a perfect victory?

"Hey!" said Sara angrily. "ZIM! You aren't helping at all! Am I going to have to do everything myself?"

Zim turned to her. "SILENCE, lab slave. OF COURSE you will be doing the work." He quickly whipped his head back to Dib and Miira.

"ZIM!" Sara yelled.

Zim was now watching Dib. Dib was sitting there with his head resting in his hands. A numb, dreamy look had tattooed itself on his face as he was watching Miira work.

Zim raised his never present eyebrow. "Why is Dib-smell acting especially stupid today?" he consulted his lab-slave.

Sara looked over and sized Dib up. With a smirk, she looked back at Zim. "Ugh. It looks like supernatural-pants likes Miira."

Zim raised his 'eyebrow' again. "What do you mean, lab-slave?"

Sara leaned forward. "I think Dib has a crush on Miira. I think he likes-likes her."

Zim still didn't get it. "Eh? Zim wants to crush Miira, but likes to like her?" He turned and shook his three fingered fist at Dib. "He will never get the chance to crush her!" he hissed in a strained voice.

"No, Zim. Gosh you're stupid. He thinks he loves her."

Zim looked like he might explode. "HE WHAT? I'LL CRUSH HIM INTO THE DIRT AND THEN YANK OUT HIS INFERIOR STUPID DOOKY ORGANS WITH AN- erm…" The entire class had turned to look at him, with the exception of Dib, who was still busy gazing at Miira. "I mean…I love chemistry. I'M NORMAL!" Zim quickly turned back to Sara. The class returned to babbling away and blowing test tubes of liquid up in each other's faces.

"Geez, Zim, judging by that outburst, I'd say you like her, too," said Sara.

"ZIM DOES NOT LO-" Zim stopped and thought about it for a second.

Sara smirked again. "Ha. You do like her, Zim."

Zim sat there a moment. "What do I do?" he asked. It was really a question directed towards himself, but Sara answered anyways.

"I don't think there is much to do, loser. If Miira for some reason miraculously decided to lower her social status down to your level in order to like one of you two, she would probably pick Dib."

"WHAT? How could anyone possibly resist the absolute superior-nes that is ZIM?"

Sara yawned. "See, that would be how. You're so full of yourself all the time. You need to realize that other people mater, too."

Zim was confused. "Eh?"

At that moment, the end-of-the-day bell rang. Zim watched Dib get up to leave.

"Hey, Dib!" Zim yelled. Dib was already in the hallway. Zim ran after him. "Dib! DIB!" The Dib-slime turned around. Zim punched him in the face, and the earthling fell over, unconscious. Zim stalked out of the school, leaving Dib laying there in the hallway.

…

Gaz and Miira walked to the Membrane household in silence. Or near silence, as Miira's scanner was making a variety of lovely beeping and screaming noises.

The house was plain and boring outside and in, but Mira didn't really care about the actual home. She made sure Gaz was properly distracted with the scanner, and then went looking for the lab. When she found it, she immediately delved into the scientific journals that were scattered around. She immersed herself in Earth's most advanced information. She sped through every document at twenty times the speed of any human, and when she was done, moved on to study the odd machinery that surrounded her.

…

Dib walked home, wiping at the dried blood by his nose. Zim had punched him and knocked him out Why? He hadn't taken him hostage at his base. He hadn't done some horrible scientific experiment on him leaving him tragically deformed. What was Zim's purpose for attacking him?

He opened the front door, and stepped inside. Gaz was sitting on the couch in the living room, playing a game slave, no doubt. "I'm home, Gaz!" he called.

"Shut up, Dib!" she replied.

Dib stalked into the room and turned on Mysterious Mysteries. Behind the living room, Miira emerged from the lab. She was surprised to see Dib, but kept silent, deciding to sneak unseen out of the house.