Yee...sorry for the delay people, I've been busy. First I had piano, then after school rehearsal for band twice, then a wedding, and my birthday is coming up so I had to help plan that. Oh yeah, my birthday is Saturday, May 4, so if for any reason you wanna e-mail me something(why?) it would make my day. Anyway, please review, and enjoy!

Disclaimer: How can Ace be 1 and 11? What kind of God would allow that?

The Sneeze of Doom

Dib and Gaz walked together through the mall, looking into various stores but never going in. At last they reached the Video Pit. Gaz grabbed her game and brought it up to Dib, who went to the register and paid for it. Gaz seemed content and the two walked out.

Dib's feet moved automatically, for he was busy in his mind. He was thinking of Zim, and how to dissect him while causing the most pain. Dib grinned evilly as he thought of Zim's screaming face as he cut open his soft stomach area. He couldn't wait.

Meanwhile...

Gir was sitting on the couch, placidly, staring at the TV. It was almost 6 pm and his master wasn't back yet. This worried Gir, but he kept reminding himself that his master could take care of himself and that there was probably a good explanation to his absence. Suddenly, Gir received a signal from his master's backpod. It had deactivated.

Gir's eyes glowed brightly and his mouth fell open. He shook his head slowly in disbelief. His master would never deactivate his backpod. It would make him too vulnerable. This could mean only two things - either his master had taken off his backpod for some reason, perhaps an emergency, and left it off for a long while, or his master was dead.

Gir wouldn't believe it. He closed his eyes and tried to think clearly - something he hardly ever did. Surely his master was alive. But why would he remove his backpod? Gir gasped as he remembered how his master had looked this morning, so sickly and pale.

"No...oh, master, no!"

Gir fell off the couch and wept in the light of the TV.

Gaz and Dib walked down the lane, soon nearing their house. Gaz grinned, seeing how Dib wanted to be home, and walked as slow as she could. Dib went ahead of her, but slowed down after she gave him a deadly glare.

"What's the hurry anyway?" Gaz asked. Dib grinned and snickered and opened his mouth to speak. Gaz shoved her hand into his mouth. "It's about Zim, isn't it?" Dib nodded. "Then I don't want to know."

When they finally did reach their house, Dib rushed down to his dad's lab immediately. He ran down the many halls until he reached the little white room - the autopsy room. Dib grinned and slowly turned the knob and opened the door. He walked in, eyes closed and smirking, only to find an empty room.

"WHAT?!"

Dib shuffled around the room, searching for any clues that might lead to Zim's escape. Dib had paid careful attention to how he had flawlessly shackled Zim down, and couldn't imagine where he had made a mistake. Dib rushed out of the room and slammed the door behind him.

Zim woke up suddenly, hearing Dib slamming the door. He was very confused and had no idea where he was. He frowned as reality came back to him. His sliced foot pained him more than ever, and the pain seemed to spread through his entire leg.

What was worse was his horrible thirst. He was very dehydrated from the fever and his tongue felt sand in his mouth. Zim sat up and let out a little grunt as he moved his injured leg. He thought of Gir and wondered how he was and if he even knew what a bad situation he was in. He sighed and was about to start unscrewing the cover of the vent when he heard Dib coming down the hall.

Dib stomped angrily as he went down the hall, muttering to himself. He went into the autopsy room and looked it over again. Zim sat in the vent, holding his breath and not making a sound. Dib came out of the room and stood at the doorway, his chin in his hand. He had the most distressed expression on his face, and it took all of Zim's strength to keep himself from laughing at it.

Dib sighed and walked slowly away. Zim sighed in sheer relief. Perhaps his escape would be easier than he thought. He smiled faintly, imagining Gir's reaction when he came home so late. He also imagined how Dib would act at skool, trying to explain to Ms. Bitters why they had both disappeared.

Zim looked out the vent and saw Dib still trudging down the hall slowly, sometimes stopping and looking around. Zim set to work on the screws, being as quiet as he could even though he was sure Dib wouldn't hear him anyway. Zim's grin grew with each screw, and he grinned as he undid the last one, seeing Dib almost all the way down the hall. He could already picture his triumphant return home. He couldn't wait to see Gir's happy face greet him. How he would make Dib pay.

He sneezed loudly.

Zim knocked down the vent cover with a clang as he sneezed. He sat there in shock for a moment, dumbfounded. Dib, of course, had heard everything and let out a victorious cry. Zim clambered out of the vent as fast as he could and sprinted off, slowed by his injured foot and fever. Dib started after him, and the chase began.



Oooo, I'm so evil. I'm gonna let ya hang there for a while...heh heh...Anyway, please review, or I'll go insane and eat your toes while you're sleeping!

-Crystal