And for the first time in a while, Dib's perspective! For my favorite character, I certainly haven't been spending as much time with him as I would think I would. And now for sleep even though my favorite part is coming up next. I guess I like torturing myself. Oh well. Beta-ed by Karyx!
**
"I'm leaving now, Gaz."
Dib stood by the front door, one hand just above the handle while the other lay at his side. His sister sat on the couch with her Game Slave 2, a box of pizza on the coffee table. She didn't acknowledge his presence, let alone the fact he was speaking to her. "If I'm not back by nine..." He glanced at his watch; it was only seven. "Then...well..."
"I know, I know. Tape Mysterious Mysteries." She sneered. "If I remember, I might do it."
"I'm dueling to the DEATH, Gaz!" Dib practically shouted. "What I was going to say was that if I'm not back by nine, I'm probably dead. Whatever happens, don't tell dad. But if you can, can you contact the Swollen Eyeball for me?"
She scoffed. " See you by nine, Dib. And tell your little friend good luck for me."
Dib shook his head, turning the knob and stepping out into the cool night air. The sun had set, but the stars still weren't out, leaving only the moon to govern the sky.
"Why am I doing this?" Dib thought as he shoved his hands in his pockets. It had gotten cooler since the day but his trench coat served him well in all weather. It wasn't a long walk to Zim's house, but Dib decided to walk slower than usual, looking around at things he took for granted on a daily basis. "This is nuts. Outsmarting each other is one thing, but coming right out with the intent to kill? Can I kill someone in cold blood?" His mind had been over the same thoughts over and over again since he's accepted the match. "That was so stupid. I should know better than to let Zim talk me into something in the heat of the moment. Always got to be showing off to that alien monster. What good is my showing off to the world? I can't stop Zim by jumping as high as he can! I have to be the one opening the trap door for him to fall into when he comes back down!" He kicked a rock, watching it sputter down the gutter. "This isn't fun, this isn't friendly competition and this isn't even me stopping one of Zim's plans. This is me, being stupid, going to Zim's house to kill or be killed. It's always been that way, I guess, but it was the underlying fact, the small print. Not the headline."
The lawn gnomes were suddenly in focus, along with the flamingo and blurry flag waving in the slight night breeze. Dib wished he had contacts. The last thing he needed to do was worry about his glasses falling off his nose. Funny how small things seemed to matter now more than at other times. Or maybe not funny at all.
"I can't believe Gaz acted like that. I might die and she's acting like I told her I was stepping out to catch fireflies!" Dib clenched his hands into fists. "No. I'm not going to die. I'm going to kill Zim first. No more late nights of worry, planning, obsessive observations, and stress headaches. The earth will be safe...and I'll be utterly alone again."
The door was before him before he realized it. He had four choices. Ring the doorbell, knock on the door, go on in, or turn and run. In the end, it was only two choices. Kill or don't kill. Die or don't die.
"Errrr! I'm not going to die!" he assured himself with agitation. Why was he getting all pessimistic? Just because Zim was the only person who ever noticed when he entered a room wasn't grounds to not kill him. Just because the alien bent on world domination was the closest thing to a friend he had, aside from his sister who found better companionship in a video game.... Dib's head dropped to his chest.
An image of Zim blushing in class after one of his own snide remarks suddenly came to mind. What had he said again? Something about Irkins not knowing what romance was? Dib rubbed at his temple. Zim had looked so...embarrassed. Like he'd let something slip that he hadn't wanted anyone to see. Had Dib been the only one not to have seen it? Or was he the only one who truly did? Such anger, frustration and confusion. Dib knew those emotions well. He'd tried to inquire about them, but Zim had run, only to come back the next day with his final call to arms.
"That's it," Dib muttered. "This has to do with something that happened in class yesterday. I don't know why I didn't see it before!" But the more Dib thought about it, the more confused he got. He hadn't really spoken to Zim at all except for the few words exchanged across the classroom. So why this? Why now?
The door suddenly opened, startling Dib out of his thoughts.
"Just how long did you plan on standing out there, Dib?" Zim questioned.
Dib shrugged his shoulders. "Long enough."
"Are you ready?"
Now there was the double jeopardy question. Dib worried his bottom lip uneasily. "Yeah. I am."
"Good." Zim opened the door wider for admittance. "Follow me."
**
"I'm leaving now, Gaz."
Dib stood by the front door, one hand just above the handle while the other lay at his side. His sister sat on the couch with her Game Slave 2, a box of pizza on the coffee table. She didn't acknowledge his presence, let alone the fact he was speaking to her. "If I'm not back by nine..." He glanced at his watch; it was only seven. "Then...well..."
"I know, I know. Tape Mysterious Mysteries." She sneered. "If I remember, I might do it."
"I'm dueling to the DEATH, Gaz!" Dib practically shouted. "What I was going to say was that if I'm not back by nine, I'm probably dead. Whatever happens, don't tell dad. But if you can, can you contact the Swollen Eyeball for me?"
She scoffed. " See you by nine, Dib. And tell your little friend good luck for me."
Dib shook his head, turning the knob and stepping out into the cool night air. The sun had set, but the stars still weren't out, leaving only the moon to govern the sky.
"Why am I doing this?" Dib thought as he shoved his hands in his pockets. It had gotten cooler since the day but his trench coat served him well in all weather. It wasn't a long walk to Zim's house, but Dib decided to walk slower than usual, looking around at things he took for granted on a daily basis. "This is nuts. Outsmarting each other is one thing, but coming right out with the intent to kill? Can I kill someone in cold blood?" His mind had been over the same thoughts over and over again since he's accepted the match. "That was so stupid. I should know better than to let Zim talk me into something in the heat of the moment. Always got to be showing off to that alien monster. What good is my showing off to the world? I can't stop Zim by jumping as high as he can! I have to be the one opening the trap door for him to fall into when he comes back down!" He kicked a rock, watching it sputter down the gutter. "This isn't fun, this isn't friendly competition and this isn't even me stopping one of Zim's plans. This is me, being stupid, going to Zim's house to kill or be killed. It's always been that way, I guess, but it was the underlying fact, the small print. Not the headline."
The lawn gnomes were suddenly in focus, along with the flamingo and blurry flag waving in the slight night breeze. Dib wished he had contacts. The last thing he needed to do was worry about his glasses falling off his nose. Funny how small things seemed to matter now more than at other times. Or maybe not funny at all.
"I can't believe Gaz acted like that. I might die and she's acting like I told her I was stepping out to catch fireflies!" Dib clenched his hands into fists. "No. I'm not going to die. I'm going to kill Zim first. No more late nights of worry, planning, obsessive observations, and stress headaches. The earth will be safe...and I'll be utterly alone again."
The door was before him before he realized it. He had four choices. Ring the doorbell, knock on the door, go on in, or turn and run. In the end, it was only two choices. Kill or don't kill. Die or don't die.
"Errrr! I'm not going to die!" he assured himself with agitation. Why was he getting all pessimistic? Just because Zim was the only person who ever noticed when he entered a room wasn't grounds to not kill him. Just because the alien bent on world domination was the closest thing to a friend he had, aside from his sister who found better companionship in a video game.... Dib's head dropped to his chest.
An image of Zim blushing in class after one of his own snide remarks suddenly came to mind. What had he said again? Something about Irkins not knowing what romance was? Dib rubbed at his temple. Zim had looked so...embarrassed. Like he'd let something slip that he hadn't wanted anyone to see. Had Dib been the only one not to have seen it? Or was he the only one who truly did? Such anger, frustration and confusion. Dib knew those emotions well. He'd tried to inquire about them, but Zim had run, only to come back the next day with his final call to arms.
"That's it," Dib muttered. "This has to do with something that happened in class yesterday. I don't know why I didn't see it before!" But the more Dib thought about it, the more confused he got. He hadn't really spoken to Zim at all except for the few words exchanged across the classroom. So why this? Why now?
The door suddenly opened, startling Dib out of his thoughts.
"Just how long did you plan on standing out there, Dib?" Zim questioned.
Dib shrugged his shoulders. "Long enough."
"Are you ready?"
Now there was the double jeopardy question. Dib worried his bottom lip uneasily. "Yeah. I am."
"Good." Zim opened the door wider for admittance. "Follow me."