This chapter was fun. So fun fun fun fun fun! Sorry for the not so earlish up date once again. Still sick. But good news! We're getting better!

Review please. It's medicinle.

It was becoming an increasingly long walk to the school. Every step the tiny mute human took just seemed not long enough as it only carried him a small length. Dib concentrated on the noise of his breathing, then to the fluffiness of the grey clouds. It might rain today, and thus he should probably warn Zim. In, and out, in, and out his breathing went until the human heard laughing from around the corner.

Dib froze, and gripped onto his backpack's straps tighter. If it was the wrong type of kids laughing, he could be in trouble. His glasses were still broken! He couldn't afford getting beaten up two days in a row! What if this time they chose to do something really bad with him like hanging him up on the flag pole or stuffing him a sack filled with angry cats? They could beat the sack and get them to attack him! Especially if they were stray. The human didn't want to be attacked by stray cats.

Dib slowly tip-toed to the corner of the street and peeked behind the fence. There they were, as predicted! Some bullies. If he recall correctly, they were the bullies from yesterday. Oh, there were so many bullies to keep up, and their reasons for bullying Dib. Dib liked it more when they were just interested in money, unfortunately, he knew these kids did it for the kicks, most literally.

He listened into their conversation carefully as he began climbing the fence and dropping in the bush behind it. He'll have to try to sneak past them as quietly as he could if he ever hoped to avoid getting beaten.

One boy snickered quietly and whispered something into another boy's ear. Oh he'd seen Dib's pathetic attempt to try and avoid them, but all it took was one seeing. The whispers spread, conversation dying down until the whispering got to the leader.

Dib watched their feet carefully; it was the only part of them he could see, but got extremely nervous when he notice them split up, and he couldn't see any of the feet. Dib knew what was happening. This meant he was in trouble, that they were surrounding him. He could take one of two courses of action, he could either stay there and hope they weren't actually surrounding him, or he could make a run for it. The latter being he wouldn't wait for them to go get him but his small chance of surviving.

A twig snapped, and Dib instantly pulled himself to the fence in between the bush and it. He began climbing as fast as he could, but not fast enough as a shirt found its way around the small human's face, blinding him and suffocating him in the smell of sweat. He was all ready beginning to be tied up, but this time, now knowing that Dib had returned, the gang came prepared.

There were several laughs all around and casual conversation, like co-workers have at lunch as beating on Dib had already settled back into the bullies' daily routine. Dib's hands were tied behind his back and his arms to his side while his ankles were tied together as well and his shoes stolen.

Dib wiggled, hoping to loosen the binds that held him only to earn a quick laugh from one of the bullies."Why don't you scream for help, little Dibby? Oh, that's right. I heard you can't talk! Must have something to do with your throat, huh?"Dib felt a hot, sweaty hand reach itself to the tender lump at Dib's throat, and he could feel his whole body shake.

Though he couldn't see it the human hears the sharp crack of someone's jaw breaking and the astonished cries of, "What the fuck!?" and, "Oh my god! He's bleeding!"

Twitch. "Take him to the school and then to the nurse. If it's serious then-" Something triggered itself in one of the bully's minds. "Hey it's you! What are you the fag's knight in shining armor!?" The voice sounded slightly amused, though Dib had no clue what on earth was going on or who he was talking to.

"What is it with adolescent boys and their obsession with 'fags'?" Came the voice of a familiar alien nurse. "Is it that you're so self conscious about your own masculinity that you have to pick on others' or are you just so confused about your sexuality you have to label and degrade others' to make yourself feel powerful and straight?"

"Why you little-" Dib heard a punch connect. A few more. Grunting, whining, breathing, and Dib could hear even more voices call in. "Tie him up with the Dibbles! We'll toss those two love birds in the sewer together!"

Dib hesitated, breathing in. Oh, he couldn't see anything! Zim had to be okay, right?! He shook his head, desperate to get the tied shirt out from in front of his face, but it was useless! He was stuck and blind now as well as mute. He couldn't see anything and knew not of what was going on.

A few more yells, from Zim and the gang. What could be happening?

A pair of hands tugged at the sweaty shirt over Dib's face and pulled it off. The face that was looking down at him smiled and green lips and hands asked, "Are you ok?"

Oh, Zim looked like a hero right there. He look like what every hero should look. He was green, his hair was drifting just softly in the wind and against his cheek. His smile stretched long on his face, and his eyes seemed to glimmer with hope for Dib. It all looked so soft looking, so perfect! Here was his hero.

That was, until of course tiny hands snuck up from behind Zim and put him in a head lock with their arms, choking him as Zim got surrounded by the other bullies, soon fixing him up like Dib as well.

Zim coughed and took extra effort to breathe when he was finally dropped to the ground, letting the blood come back to his head before he made any attempt to move or struggle. Laughter was shared all around. "Isn't that cute?" One commented. "Birds of a feather..." Another said, though by the way his voice faltered it was doubtful he even knew what that meant.

Dib wormed his way to Zim, leaning over him and servailing him. Oh, how sorry he was forever bringing Zim into this mess!"It's time to take you two on a little trip." One grinned, hoisting Dib up and away from Zim.

"Yeah," Another agreed, also yanking Zim up and tying the two together back-to-back. "A school field trip to the sewers!""Wouldn't it be awful if the two of you couldn't swim because you were tied together?" They all laughed full heartedly as the two, human and irken, began being pulled away.

Zim struggled as carefully as possible, not wanting to hurt Dib, but wanting to get away all the same. The sewers... Sewers meant water and water meant pain, so much pain!

"Maybe we should fish them out after school, see if they've learned not to be so gay." Everyone got a good laugh from that one. There was no way two fags like this could ever stop being gay.

Together they walked, shoved and lead by an incomplete group of bullies (incomplete, thanks to the broken jaw of somebody who had to go home) down to the sewer lines. They got pushed in and walked down the increaseingly dark large pipe. There was a squeak here and there from the occasional rat, but over all seemed pretty lifeless aside from the group. Disgusting water splashed underneath their feet, burning through the boots of Zim.

"We're here!" A smaller male called out in front of everyone, making them all stop.

Dib had been here before. Despite his inability to see, he knew exactly where they were. The pool. Here is where roaches gather into murky, filthy stench water they'll be pushed in. Dib gagged already, hurting his throat in the process, forcing him to flinch in the process.

Zim was shaking, though he tried very hard to conceal it. How could this have happened? He let his guard down for a second and he was bound by a ground of Earth smeets! SMEETS! Hardly old enough to be walking around on their own in irken culture!

"Aw, what's the matter?" Asked one of the bullies that had been doing the dragging, feeling Zim's trembling. "Can't swim?"

A roar sounded throughout the whole pipe. "Ah, it finally decided to rain on us." One of the bullies spoke passively to himself.

How horrible! Zim was scared of storms! Dib struggled harder, trying to loosen their binds, but they were totally stuck together. He'd have to try to talk! Maybe if they saw how hard he was trying, they let them go.

So Dib withdrew a breath, and pushed noise out the best he could in his ruined, broken throat. "H'eh- h'ehl..p! Pl'ee-ee-ease st-p!" He cried out, tearing his throat horribly, bringing tears in his eyes in the process. It hurt so much. The bullies had to have mercy for them now."Aw, what? Baby's trying to talk?" The bullies laughed. "Look at him cry! They're both wimps! Push the fags overboard!

"The two got pushed into the water together just as another bit of thunder struck, and the water, the acid covered Zim while the others just walked away laughing.

Zim struggled to get lose, thrashing as his skin already began to blister and sizzle like bacon. He had to really struggle not to try and call out, lest he swallow any of the terrible, dirty acid.

Even worse was the fact that he really couldn't swim, not on his own anyway, he had a pak that could do that for him, but he couldn't risk Dib finding out he was an alien by using anything from his pak!

Their ankles and arms were tied together. Dib couldn't figure out how to get out of this, and they were sinking in the disgusting smelling water. They'd have to work together but he had no way to communicate with Zim to do that with. They were dying because of stupid bullies at school!

He tried to remember his studies on aquatic science. They'd have to swim like a dolphin, and quick, before they ran out of breath! Their floating wasn't holding up too well. Instantly, Dib pushed back on his legs, pushing Zim's forward, and then pulling his forward as well, pulling Zim's back and repeating the action. Maybe it would work!

Zim was growing lightheaded from trying to hold his breath and from all the panicking he was doing. He was going to die here! He was going to die because some bullies didn't like gay people and thought he was gay! And worst still was he was going to bring Dib down with him! Too desperate to think, or to care that it was Dib and not the mission he was most concerned about, four mechanical legs once more appeared out of the pod on his back and severed the ropes binding their arms and legs. Small fin like fans sprouted from the ends of them to help propel Zim to the surface and he grabbed onto the edge of shore.

The water splashed, and Dib gasped, grabbing onto the air as Zim left him but he was free. He swam aimlessly until he found Zim's metal legs and held onto them for dear, precious life. They were safe! They were alive! But how? What saved them? Oh, but what did it matter? They were SAFE. Dib panted harshly against the metallic back of Zim, unaware of what exactly he was holding onto in the blindness of the dark.

Zim shakily pulled Dib and himself up, out of the water, metal legs retracting as soon as the human let go. He grunted, trying his hardest not to curse and swear in his native tongue, human English failing him as cold air hit his close to bubbling skin, steam rising off him. And his clothes! They were dripping with the wet stuff!

More thunder rang through the long pipe.Dib lay on the concrete panting, relieved they got out. He hadn't expect to live this far! But he was living, and he was living with Zim, whom, at this moment was hissing, and sounded as though he was in pain. Tired, and weak, Dib reached over to his friend to try to calm him down, only to burn his hand and have to retreat it back. There was something the matter with him! He crawled up by his side and began to panic! He couldn't see anything! How could he even ask Zim what the matter was?! What was he suppose to do?! He was sizzling!

Zim breathed hard as he pulling his shirt and wig off, letting them fall to the concrete before carefully pulling his boots off, glad that human's eyes were not so good in the dark. No telling what Dib's reaction would be if he knew Zim really was an alien, or if he knew just how bad said alien was aching right now.

Once his boots were off he pulled off the only remaining pieces of cloth on his body, hisses turning high pitched as the denim of his jeans slid down the length of his legs. Last out were the contacts, pulled out carefully so as not to burn his eyes.

Dib looked around in the dark hopelessly. He had to get help! He felt back on Zim, hesitating when he felt a bare hot chest. He paused, then found Zim's shoulder and ran his hands down to his claws. He began signing in Zim's hand, unaware that Zim could see perfectly what he was saying in the dark without his needing to feel it. "I'll go get help!" And Dib stood, ready to dart off.

"NO!" Zim said quickly, grabbing the tail of Dib's trench coat but quickly pulling his hand back with a loud hiss at how wet it was. Oh this was not going to be fun.

Dib stopped and turned back, going to his hands and knees before signing into the claws of the naked Irken once more. "Why?"

Zim bit his lip, which he quickly realized hurt like the rest of him! "C-can't..." He shook his head, what was he supposed to say!? 'I'm an alien! They'll dissect me!' He shook his head again, his whole form trembling at how his skin burned and yet he was so cold.

He wasn't making any sense! Oh, but Dib had to trust Zim. Zim knew what was best for Zim after all. He only wished he could help. Zim sounded as if he was seriously dying or something! He reached his arms out and took hold of Zim in an embrace, hugging the alien with his still wet clothes, and resting his head against his shoulder. Surely a hug could make things better. It always did before, even when it got awkward. Zim was naked now and it wasn't even awkward. That must meant something, right?

Zim stop breathing to choke back a yelp, or maybe a scream, his mind was too clouded to even tell what his own body was doing. He put his hands on Dib's chest, trying to push the mute human away, the water, it burned so bad! There must be a way of telling Dib this without revealing himself!

"W-water... h-hurts..." He found himself saying before he realized it.

Dib stiffened. So that's what that was. Dib should have seen this before, he should have known. Zim wasn't afraid of the storm, he was afraid of the water. Here, he and his best friend got pushed into a whole pool of the stuff- nasty water at that- and Dib did nothing! How could he help now? There was nothing he could do. He leaned back on his hands and stared low at the dark. He let his only friend down. Now, he could die here and it would be all Dib's fault.

Zim looked around fearfully, listening to the heavy pouring of the storm outside. How could this situation get any worse!? He was trapped in this damp hole of smell with water on both sides and no way out! He needed his burn cream! There would be so much scarring later... not even the cosmetic laser specialists on Irk would be able to get rid of them! His muscles twitched as the tenseness in them lessened, his pak supplying him with much needed pain killers while trying to heal his skin on his own, but it would do no good. He would be blistering until he got that cream and took a nice, relaxing bath.

Dib sat there. It was quiet aside from the sound of the two breathing, rats squeaking, and the rain from outside echoing in. Ugh! And he had left his backpack, too! That wasn't the problem though. The problem was that here Zim was, hurting, and he wouldn't let Dib get him any help. All because he was a stupid a- ... That's right. Zim didn't want Dib to get help because he was an alien. But what else could he do? It was raining outside, and they were surrounded by water. Zim was going to parish here because he didn't want to be found out.

Dib took off his trench coat and ringed it of the sewer liquid. It made a squishy noise when he dropped it into he pipe, and he soon flapped his hands off, making it as dry as he could. He felt around for Zim's hand again and began signing into it. "Let me help. Please."

Zim shook his head. This was terrible. He needed help, he NEEDED it, but he couldn't risk his mission or his friendship with Dib by letting the human know he was an alien or by letting him go get someone else who could possibly do more harm.

Dib lifted his human hand to cup Zim's cheek. He stared blankly into the dark a bit, stopping Zim's silent protest before dropping his hand once more to Zim's to speak. "Please." He urged once more.

Zim paused, staring wide eyed at Dib. "N-no, I'll be fine, r-really."

This time it was Dib's turn to shake his head hurriedly. He tried again. "I'm going to help you if you want it or not. You're hurt."

Zim shook, this was terrible! "You can't!" He said, gripping Dib's arm to make sure he didn't go anywhere.

Why was Zim being this way?! Didn't he know that this hurt him to have Zim hurt as well? Didn't he understand anything?! Dib struggled against his grip, having to work against Zim's strength for a change. Dib slammed his eyes shut, and took hold of the Irken's claws once more. "I know you!" Was the best he could sign out at the time.

"What do you know!?" Zim almost yelled. Why was Dib doing this to him? He was hurt and the last thing he needed was a media circus because Dib had to be all helpful and concerned!

"Alien." Dib signed, squinting his eyes, and feeling a little fearful of the one he cared for, the one who yelled at him.

Zim shook his head. "I'm not an alien, I have a sk-skin condition."

Dib dropped Zim's claws. Maybe he was right. Maybe this whole time, Zim was just an average kid with a skin condition, and since he liked aliens so much, and he had been longing for a friend for so long, he just believed what he wanted to believe? No, that didn't seem right. No! Zim- Zim was so infuriating! Why couldn't he just trust him?Dib grabbed hold of Zim's shoulders and began shaking him violently and angrily. Why couldn't he just be himself around him like Dib wanted him to be?

"Di-Dib," Zim said, putting his hands on Dib's. his skin hurt all over, where Dib touched where he touched Dib, it all hurt! "St-stop, there's nothing you can do for me!"

The human grew frustrated, and with that went all of the vocabulary he had learned for his hands. His mind was too clouded and all he wanted to do was scream and yell in Zim's face for being so prideful and not trusting him. If Dib could trust him and let Zim heal him, surely Zim could trust Dib and let Dib heal him back. But alas, he was too frustrated to think, all he could do was continue to shake Zim's shoulders in despair as he silently began to cry.

Zim shook his head and put his hands on Dib's shoulders to try and push him back, he needed space, space to breathe and space to work. A screen popped out of that miraculous pod on his back and it instantly lit up in front of Zim, showing his more than alien features.

Dib crawled back instantly on his hands, staring wide eyed at the scene in front of him. Lit up in blue just in front of him was indeed his green friend but... without his lovable hair, crystal eyes, or teenager clothes that allowed him to fit in so well at school. No; he looked exactly like, and at the same time, nothing like Dib had expected such an alien to look like. It was breath taking, and indeed, Dib had to hold his breath.Zim was admitting it to him!

Though, it probably seemed bad that Dib had drawn back so much, from what looked like fear but was pure astonishment. And that thing... on his back- it was attached and had mechanics in it. That must be how they had gotten out.Dib slowly crawled back to his friend, staring in wonder all up and down his friend. How amazing...

"It's rude to stare." Zim said, blushing at his own nakedness before the SIR appeared on the screen, saluting his master."Yes, My Master?" He asked."SIR, get me the burn cream... and a fresh ch- two fresh changes of clothes... and some towels... and some food." Zim said, wrapping his arms around himself."Yes, sir!" The robot cried before cutting the transmission.

The only light source disappeared, leaving the two into the dark once more. Dib didn't have any more chances to examine Zim's wounds but suddenly those didn't seem to matter as much anymore as Dib was overcome in excitement and proof. He smiled forward and sat more properly. Zim even had his own robot! That must be so cool. He wouldn't have to do chores or anything, and he had his own automatic metal friend that was with you whenever you were at home, like a pet!

But Zim didn't seem as excited about Dib knowing as Dib was, and come to think about it, before he saw, he wasn't every excited either, though he knew who his best friend was. What was WRONG with Dib? Oh, the boy felt just so suddenly filthy, and not the sewer kind of filthy, either.

Zim shivered. "Oh Irk this is bad." The alien said, antennae limp. "This is so bad, bad, bad." He continued to mumble about how bad things were, eventually fading into a different, alien language.

Dib listened attentively to the words Zim used. They were beautiful however strange to Dib they were. Something dawned on the boy, and he picked Zim's claws back up to speak his hand language into his claws. "Will you kill me?" The human felt rather calm with the question, according to Zim's antennae, but nevertheless it was strange.

Zim's head snapped back to Dib's face, red eyes wide with shock. "N-n-no, why would I kill you?"

"You showed me. That is bad." Dib signed, now staring back at the end of the tunnel as if willing for the rain to stop, although it ignored Dib and continued anyway.

"No... there are ways... to wipe your memory." Zim said, shaking his head. "But... we're friends... I don't have to do that... right?" Zim looked at Dib pleadingly though he knew the human couldn't see. "You- you won't tell anyone right? No one can know."

After having his heart jump in his chest, Dib smiled and signed back to Zim's claws: "Who would I tell? Secret."

Zim gave Dib's a small smile before laughing slightly, saying, "I can see in the dark."

Dib withdrew his hand and breath quickly, face going red equally as fast. Well, why couldn't Zim see in the dark? He should have thought about that, but presently, he had to grip his heart to slow it down from the shock. With a nervous caught-off-guard smile, Dib went back to signing in the air. "Neat."

"Yeah it is." Zim said with a small laugh. Suddenly there came the sound of metal on concrete and the occasional spark flying and in came Zim's SIR unit.

Dib mouthed the word 'robot' and his face lit up. Who needs science fiction when you had Dib's life? He sat eagerly, waiting for the mechanical mechanism of high-tech superior alien species.

Zim motioned the SIR unit over, the glow from it's eyes illuminating the cave like sewer. "Your burn cream, master." The robot said, pulling the tube from his head and handing it to Zim. Zim took the tube and immediately began to rub the cream over his skin.

Dib idly watch him rub the cream on until he realized what he was doing, and his attention went straight back to the SIR. He reached out and touched it. Sure enough, it was metal of some sort, but Dib had to withdraw his hand when a spark struck out and hit him.

Zim spent thirty minutes rubbing the healing cream over his skin until he was satisfied before reaching into the robots head and pulling out a towel to wrap around himself and one to throw over Dib's head. "Here," He said, snuggling into his own fluffy towel. "Dry yourself off."

Dib scrubbed the towel over his wet hair for a bit until he took another peak at Zim in the light blue light, stopping him in action. He looked so peaceful and serene, so peculiar and amazing. He was sure of it now; even if Zim couldn't really save him today, but instead, got himself in danger for him... he was perfect to Dib.

Zim: Me

Dib: TSI

Bullies: Both