Cognitive Dissonance
An action packed romantic Invader Zim epic
By LejindaryBunny
A/N: Woo, hello. I'm afraid this is the last chapter you're likely to
get until after x-mas break because I can't use my FF net account at
home. BUT I'll have all that time to work on it so expect a really
long post at 11:45 am sharp on Jan 2nd. Until then, Go read Invader
Ari's work, it's so cool! It's not slash but it's awesome!
Also, feel free to e-mail me over the long holiday, cuz I can check
my yahoo account. (nn, stupid psycho hacker fearing dad) If you write
me I just might drop a few future plot hints in my reply. (*Sniff* I'm
so lonely, I'll practically do anything for attention!)
Thanks for all the wonderful reviews. You can't see where it's going?
That's good, I hate being predictable. And you really like Kiir? It
seems I have made another tiumph! Bow to me!(Just kidding, well, you
can if you want.) Everyone liked my X-Men Evoluion character except
me! I thought she was an awful mary-sue. But I like Kiir!
On a persoal note I get to see LOTR Two Towers tonight! My mom bought
tickets for me two weeks in advance so we cold definately see it the
first day. But enough about me, it's the story you want to read!
Disclaimer: I don't own Zim yet, but I plan on buying him from middle
eastern slave traders so he can dance on my table.
Chapter III...In which there is much astonishment and confusion, many
questions and there's even one small answer!
Kiir walked through the door, ushered in by the strange, brooding,
distracted creature who had opened it. She was pretty sure the thing was
female, and wondered what she was doing with the small, computer like
device.
A moment later another earth creature came down the stairs, probably
male, although she wasn't quite as sure with her guess this time. He
had pale skin, that Kiir didn't get the impression was very healthy,
and large optic enhancers, much more simplistic than her own. He stopped
half way down the steps looking quite shocked.
Kiir could understand this she supposed, as she must look as out of
place as she felt. She wondered briefly if Zim had set her up, as this,
human were they called, didn't look very friendly.
***
Dib had hurried down the stairs fully expecting to see Zim lurking in
his living room. The creature he found however, while definitely not
Zim was just as obviously not human. It looked vaguely Irken, as he
understood the species, which was too say it had green skin, antennae and
very large eyes. It also, however, had violet hair that fell stiffly
around its chin.
He got the impression that the creature was a female, something about
the face, he thought. She, if a she it was, wore a blue tank top, elbow
length, black gloves over three-fingered hands, canvasy brown pants,
knee-high black boots and a pair of oval glasses like eyewear that had
a few buttons set in the frames. She had a bag or a pack of some sort
slung over her shoulder.
He didn't know what to say or to do. Had she been sent by Zim to kill
him? When had she gotten to Earth? Was she with the Oranges? Most
importantly, WHY was she at his house?!
The alien did him the favor of starting the conversation. "Ah, are
you Dib, then?" she asked, sounding as tense and reluctant as he felt.
He nodded and came down the rest of the stairs. He frowned, deciding
to make one point very clear from the outset. "You're an alien," he
stated, to let her know that he knew this.
"Er, well, yes. I ah, thought that was a little bit obvious."
Oh. So she hadn't thought she was in a clever disguise. He felt a bit
dumb, now, and couldn't think of anything to say.
"Zim sent me," she told him after a moment.
This immediately set Dib on the defensive. He bristled into as vaguely
aggressive posture as he could manage. She didn't look very armed or
dangerous but if she had been sent by Zim who knew what tricks she had
up her sleeve, er, glove... whatever. "Oh did he? Why?" he snapped.
The alien became at once very uncomfortable. "I well, crashed on this
planet about an hour ago and Zim, well, he isn't um, really up to
entertaining guests at the moment. He uh, implied I might be able to
stay here for a while."
Dib blinked, utterly astonished. Why the hell would he do something
like that? He looked her over once more. She really didn't seem to mean
any harm, and to have the chance to interview a live alien was not
something he wanted to pass up. He made up his mind just to watch her
like a paranoid hawk, in case this was another one of Zim's heinous
plots.
"What's your name?" he asked.
"Ah, Kiir," she replied.
"Come with me," he nodded and headed back up the stairs to his room.
"So I can stay?" he heard her ask as footsteps followed him.
"...I think so. We have a guest room. I don't think my father will
mind. Or notice," he grumped. Privately he was slightly worried as he
didn't know much about accommodating aliens, just fighting them.
"That's fine," she said.
He opened the door to his room, stepped in and turned around watching
her. She seemed both amazed and confused by the place, and once again
Dib wondered what it must be like to be thousands of light years from
home. "Have a seat," he offered, gesturing to his computer chair, the
only one in the room.
"Thanks," she promptly sat down cross-legged on the floor. Well, he
thought, that was fine too. He sat down across from her, leaning against
the bed.
After a moment of silence he decided he might as well start asking
her a few questions. "So, um, you're Irken I suppose?"
"Yeah... yeah. Well, I'm," she frowned, "mostly, Irken. Half,
technically. My mother was a Horling."
"Oh." So that was why she looked different. He wondered what a Horling
was. "So how come you're on Earth?"
A momentary anger seemed to flicker through her eyes. She rubbed the
back of her head. "Crashed," she stated in a tone that bespoke that
there was to be no elaboration.
He decided it was a touchy topic and moved on. "So, how do you know
Zim?"
"Old friends," she frowned, "what about you?"
He wondered what he should tell her. "I stop him from conquering
Earth," he said, deciding truth was best.
Dib couldn't quite read the expression she made now, something
between confusion, amusement, sadness maybe?
"Ah, about that..." she began.
He grimaced. "Wonderful, let me guess, you want to take over Earth
too," he said, voice dripping with cynicism.
She snorted. "Are you kidding? Why the frakk would I want Earth, I
mean, no offence, but it ain't that great in the scheme of things."
He blinked. Well, that was good. Not very flattering, but good. "Well
then what is it?"
She sighed. "Are you sure you want to know?"
***
Zim had gone into a state something like mental shock. He had been
sitting there for the better part of an hour, doing saying nothing,
only thinking.
A few minutes ago Gir had come in offering him hugs and muffins in
his usual shrill, spastic voice. Zim's complete and utter lack of
response seemed to deter him, because after a few moments the defective
SIR unit had gone away looking uncharacteristically sad and dejected.
Zim was numb, or rather he wished he could be numb. In truth he was
filled with an all consuming sorrow, he had never felt so alone. Alone
on this tiny, isolated sphere where no one wanted him and no one cared.
He wished he hadn't sent Kiir away, she at least had been a familiar
face. He wondered what had become of her. Had he sent her to her death
in sending her to Dib? Would aliens be the topic of the morning Earth
news, Dib telling the world how he had known it all along? Or maybe
Kiir had shot him. He knew she carried her laser with her wherever she
went. This thought inexplicably sent a new pang of guilt and sadness
through out him. But why should he be caring what happened to either of
them when he didn't even care about himself?
Zim wasn't the type to actively seek his death, but in this state he
didn't have the will to fend it off with such methods as eating,
sleeping or moving.
But the nagging worry of what might be going on at Dib's house began
to chew on his brain, slowly and surely. Maybe he should go and see
what was happening. He didn't know why it mattered, it was probably
just his subconscious' way of keeping him from going completely mad
sitting there feeling sorry for himself. If there was one thing Zim
had always hated it was inactivity and indecisiveness. Anyway, maybe
a walk would help him to figure out just what was going on.
***
"Just to get rid of him?" Dib repeated, not really believing his ears.
"Yep, that's right," she nodded.
"...but that's, that's horrible."
She raised a purple eyebrow. "Oh? I thought you said you two were
enemies. Why should you care?"
"Well, we are, I guess, but," he tried to find the words to explain
it. "I well, I know how it is to be rejected..."
"Do you human? Hnnn, Zim was the most loyal of Irkens, and yet his
government repudiated him, merely because he was nuisance."
Dib sighed. He wondered what Zim would do now, knowing his mission
to conquer Earth was a fraud. Would he keep trying, out of spite, or
vengeance, or the desire to prove himself? Would he leave and try to
go home, or somewhere else? What would Dib do if he left? He could
barely remember life without their rivalry.
"You look really sad," Kiir remarked in a murmur. "Why is that? Does
the potential loss of your enemy trouble you so much?"
He thought about this. Was it simply that he needed an enemy, an
antithesis, to feel complete and useful? Someone to match wits with,
or was it something...more? He avoided the question.
"It was wrong," he said, turning it into a moral issue. "Even if they
wanted to get rid of him they shouldn't have lied."
She cocked her head to one side. "You're probably right. Perhaps it
would have been kinder to execute the poor fool, outright."
Dib winced. Execute him? "What did he do, anyway, to merit all this?"
"Oh, accidentally killed two of our 'great' leaders, caused countless
other deaths and countless amounts of property damage and general
social havoc." She grinned.
He raised an eyebrow. "You don't sound too upset about this," he
observed.
"Well, no, oh! I forgot to tell you. I'm an outlaw, a rebel leader,
as they say, High Commander Kiir of the Irken Underground. My
organization can only dream of causing as great a discord as Zim has
by accident, but of course I suppose that's the nature of chaos."
Dib blinked. It hadn't occurred to him that she might not be a loyal
supporter of her race. But, as not all humans were very gung-ho about
their governments he supposed there was no reason for all aliens to be
perfectly harmonious. In fact, that wouldn't have made much sense.
But he returned to the previous topic. "So, why exactly DIDN'T they
have him executed?" he wondered, it certainly all seemed serious enough.
She shrugged. "He was obedient and unquestioning, if overly exuberant
about it. Would you kill something that worshipped you like a god, even
if it did destroy your things?"
It was a good point. "I suppose not."
"I didn't think so."
He sat there for a moment, just thinking. Would everything be
different tomorrow? So many things had happened in one evening, he'd
nearly forgotten about the Orange aliens. He wondered if Kiir knew
anything about them. He figured it was worth a shot.
He was just about to ask when once more someone knocked on the door
downstairs. This time he leapt up to get it. There was really only one
person it could be, but he was learning not to count on anything this
evening.
"I'll be right back," he told Kiir and dashed out of the room and
back down the stairs. He unlocked and yanked open the door, to be
presented with a slight and glaring figure.
Under most circumstances he'd have immediately told Zim to go away,
and probably thrown a few insults and nearby objects at him. Or just
slammed the door outright. But as it was he pursed his lips, a private
gesture of concern. The alien didn't look particularly well.
"Ah, Zim?" he greeted uncertainly.
Zim narrowed his eyes.
***
"Is Kiir here?" he demanded, glaring slightly up at the human. Dib
seemed distracted and worried had he called the Earth media? Was he
waiting for an interview?
The Dib-human frowned. "Yes."
"Have you harmed her?" he asked suspiciously.
"Of course not!" he sounded affronted. "In don't hurt people who don't
attack me first, Zim."
So Kiir had refrained from being her usual impulsive self, and so, it
seemed had the human, as Zim could recall once or twice being attacked
without direct provocation.
"Why did you send here to me, Zim," he asked, sounding impatient.
He paused. What to say? "I was curious to see what would happen. Did
you not call your Earth news?"
***
Dib blinked. The news? He realized that it had never even crossed his
mind that he could have easily have jumped Kiir, tied her up and had
all the evidence he would ever need that aliens existed. He could still
do that now, he supposed, but it seemed to him that it would be deeply
wrong now that he had offered her his hospitality. Besides, speaking
with her had made her a lot more of a person rather than a creature to
be dissected. He suddenly realized that the same applied to Zim.
"Um, no, I haven't," he replied finally.
This seemed to surprise Zim. Neither of them said anything for a
moment.
"Would you...like to come in?" Dib asked slowly. He watched the
Irken's expression go from mild surprise to absolute shock, to deep
suspicion.
"What is this trick?" he demanded.
"No trick," Dib said, not quite sure why he was doing this. Zim was
still probably very dangerous, well, at least as dangerous as he always
was. Dib didn't suppose Zim's revelation had instantly dissolved their
enmity. But the night had been full of surprises already. He let the
invitation stand.
"Then why do you invite me in your home? Are we not enemies?" Zim
demanded, giving voice to their seemingly twin thoughts.
"I just thought...you might want to talk to Kiir. And it's cold out
and well," he hesitated. "And she told me about...about you mission."
Zim's gaze became cold and sharp as iced razorblades. "Zim does not
need your pity, Dib-human," he growled bitterly. He turned around and
started to leave.
"Wait, Zim," he said, "It's not pity. I'm just, sorry."
Zim looked back over his shoulder. "Why?" he demanded.
Dib couldn't answer.
The Irken walked away.
***
"You can sleep here," Dib said, showing her the room that had once
belonged to his mother. The ten years she'd been dead however, it had
come to be the ever infrequently used guest room. "I don't know what
sleeping arrangements you're used to, or how long you sleep but..." he
trailed off.
Kiir gave him a wry grin. "Personally I sleep as long as I can get
away with. These quarters are suitable."
Dib smiled nervously back. "Well, good night then."
She closed the door gently and Dib walked distractedly back to his
own room. He closed and locked the door, disrobing down to his frowny-
face patterned boxers and tossed the discarded garments into a heap in
the corner. He collapsed back onto the dark covers of his bed and
yanked off his glasses, setting them on the bedside table. His vision
instantly degraded into near nothingness, things becoming unintelligibly
blurry only about five inches from his nose. He pulled the covers up
over his slender, pale form.
He was confused. He didn't know what he felt towards Zim but it
clearly was not the loathing it had begun as, that much was obvious.
Hate didn't entail caring about what the person thought, or worrying
about them. But if not hate, what? He just couldn't tell. Perhaps he
should address the matter scientifically, or at least in a reasonably
ordered approach. Alright, first. Subject: Zim, alien Invader. Or at
least he had been, Dib had no idea if he was going to continue that
occupation now. But anyway, that wasn't on topic. For three years they
had gone to school together, been arch-rivals. For three years Zim had
been for all practical purposes the only person Dib spoke to or thought
about, the focus of his entire life. But was that only because he was
continually saving the world from him? Hypothetically, if Zim were to
renounce his bid for world domination would Dib still watch him during
class? If he were to fly away in his space ship tomorrow, never to
return, would Dib be upset? He didn't even need to really think about
the answer. It was yes, to both of them. But why, why? THAT was the
question! He knew he cared but the question was the reason, and the
extent! Was it simply because he felt some bond of kinship, that they
were somehow the same or similar in outlook and experience? That was
part of it, oh definitely. But if it were the whole of the answer would
thoughts of the alien stalk him waking or sleeping?
Dib's thoughts seemed to be winding themselves into some frenzied
crescendo, and he wished he could slow them down, sort them out and
catalogue them. He was terrible at analyzing his own emotions. But who
did he have to talk to? Not Zim himself certainly! His father wouldn't
bother to listen and he didn't even know Kiir. He didn't know anyone.
Evidently he didn't even know himself. He'd ask his sister, Gaz, but
she'd only make some smart remark about how he must be in lo-
Oh.
Damn.
To be continued...
Woooo. Interesting place to leave it, ne? Well, feedback is
appreciated, I'm afraid it's gonna be two weeks until the next chapter
but fear not! That means it'll be super good and super long!
Read it? Review it!
An action packed romantic Invader Zim epic
By LejindaryBunny
A/N: Woo, hello. I'm afraid this is the last chapter you're likely to
get until after x-mas break because I can't use my FF net account at
home. BUT I'll have all that time to work on it so expect a really
long post at 11:45 am sharp on Jan 2nd. Until then, Go read Invader
Ari's work, it's so cool! It's not slash but it's awesome!
Also, feel free to e-mail me over the long holiday, cuz I can check
my yahoo account. (nn, stupid psycho hacker fearing dad) If you write
me I just might drop a few future plot hints in my reply. (*Sniff* I'm
so lonely, I'll practically do anything for attention!)
Thanks for all the wonderful reviews. You can't see where it's going?
That's good, I hate being predictable. And you really like Kiir? It
seems I have made another tiumph! Bow to me!(Just kidding, well, you
can if you want.) Everyone liked my X-Men Evoluion character except
me! I thought she was an awful mary-sue. But I like Kiir!
On a persoal note I get to see LOTR Two Towers tonight! My mom bought
tickets for me two weeks in advance so we cold definately see it the
first day. But enough about me, it's the story you want to read!
Disclaimer: I don't own Zim yet, but I plan on buying him from middle
eastern slave traders so he can dance on my table.
Chapter III...In which there is much astonishment and confusion, many
questions and there's even one small answer!
Kiir walked through the door, ushered in by the strange, brooding,
distracted creature who had opened it. She was pretty sure the thing was
female, and wondered what she was doing with the small, computer like
device.
A moment later another earth creature came down the stairs, probably
male, although she wasn't quite as sure with her guess this time. He
had pale skin, that Kiir didn't get the impression was very healthy,
and large optic enhancers, much more simplistic than her own. He stopped
half way down the steps looking quite shocked.
Kiir could understand this she supposed, as she must look as out of
place as she felt. She wondered briefly if Zim had set her up, as this,
human were they called, didn't look very friendly.
***
Dib had hurried down the stairs fully expecting to see Zim lurking in
his living room. The creature he found however, while definitely not
Zim was just as obviously not human. It looked vaguely Irken, as he
understood the species, which was too say it had green skin, antennae and
very large eyes. It also, however, had violet hair that fell stiffly
around its chin.
He got the impression that the creature was a female, something about
the face, he thought. She, if a she it was, wore a blue tank top, elbow
length, black gloves over three-fingered hands, canvasy brown pants,
knee-high black boots and a pair of oval glasses like eyewear that had
a few buttons set in the frames. She had a bag or a pack of some sort
slung over her shoulder.
He didn't know what to say or to do. Had she been sent by Zim to kill
him? When had she gotten to Earth? Was she with the Oranges? Most
importantly, WHY was she at his house?!
The alien did him the favor of starting the conversation. "Ah, are
you Dib, then?" she asked, sounding as tense and reluctant as he felt.
He nodded and came down the rest of the stairs. He frowned, deciding
to make one point very clear from the outset. "You're an alien," he
stated, to let her know that he knew this.
"Er, well, yes. I ah, thought that was a little bit obvious."
Oh. So she hadn't thought she was in a clever disguise. He felt a bit
dumb, now, and couldn't think of anything to say.
"Zim sent me," she told him after a moment.
This immediately set Dib on the defensive. He bristled into as vaguely
aggressive posture as he could manage. She didn't look very armed or
dangerous but if she had been sent by Zim who knew what tricks she had
up her sleeve, er, glove... whatever. "Oh did he? Why?" he snapped.
The alien became at once very uncomfortable. "I well, crashed on this
planet about an hour ago and Zim, well, he isn't um, really up to
entertaining guests at the moment. He uh, implied I might be able to
stay here for a while."
Dib blinked, utterly astonished. Why the hell would he do something
like that? He looked her over once more. She really didn't seem to mean
any harm, and to have the chance to interview a live alien was not
something he wanted to pass up. He made up his mind just to watch her
like a paranoid hawk, in case this was another one of Zim's heinous
plots.
"What's your name?" he asked.
"Ah, Kiir," she replied.
"Come with me," he nodded and headed back up the stairs to his room.
"So I can stay?" he heard her ask as footsteps followed him.
"...I think so. We have a guest room. I don't think my father will
mind. Or notice," he grumped. Privately he was slightly worried as he
didn't know much about accommodating aliens, just fighting them.
"That's fine," she said.
He opened the door to his room, stepped in and turned around watching
her. She seemed both amazed and confused by the place, and once again
Dib wondered what it must be like to be thousands of light years from
home. "Have a seat," he offered, gesturing to his computer chair, the
only one in the room.
"Thanks," she promptly sat down cross-legged on the floor. Well, he
thought, that was fine too. He sat down across from her, leaning against
the bed.
After a moment of silence he decided he might as well start asking
her a few questions. "So, um, you're Irken I suppose?"
"Yeah... yeah. Well, I'm," she frowned, "mostly, Irken. Half,
technically. My mother was a Horling."
"Oh." So that was why she looked different. He wondered what a Horling
was. "So how come you're on Earth?"
A momentary anger seemed to flicker through her eyes. She rubbed the
back of her head. "Crashed," she stated in a tone that bespoke that
there was to be no elaboration.
He decided it was a touchy topic and moved on. "So, how do you know
Zim?"
"Old friends," she frowned, "what about you?"
He wondered what he should tell her. "I stop him from conquering
Earth," he said, deciding truth was best.
Dib couldn't quite read the expression she made now, something
between confusion, amusement, sadness maybe?
"Ah, about that..." she began.
He grimaced. "Wonderful, let me guess, you want to take over Earth
too," he said, voice dripping with cynicism.
She snorted. "Are you kidding? Why the frakk would I want Earth, I
mean, no offence, but it ain't that great in the scheme of things."
He blinked. Well, that was good. Not very flattering, but good. "Well
then what is it?"
She sighed. "Are you sure you want to know?"
***
Zim had gone into a state something like mental shock. He had been
sitting there for the better part of an hour, doing saying nothing,
only thinking.
A few minutes ago Gir had come in offering him hugs and muffins in
his usual shrill, spastic voice. Zim's complete and utter lack of
response seemed to deter him, because after a few moments the defective
SIR unit had gone away looking uncharacteristically sad and dejected.
Zim was numb, or rather he wished he could be numb. In truth he was
filled with an all consuming sorrow, he had never felt so alone. Alone
on this tiny, isolated sphere where no one wanted him and no one cared.
He wished he hadn't sent Kiir away, she at least had been a familiar
face. He wondered what had become of her. Had he sent her to her death
in sending her to Dib? Would aliens be the topic of the morning Earth
news, Dib telling the world how he had known it all along? Or maybe
Kiir had shot him. He knew she carried her laser with her wherever she
went. This thought inexplicably sent a new pang of guilt and sadness
through out him. But why should he be caring what happened to either of
them when he didn't even care about himself?
Zim wasn't the type to actively seek his death, but in this state he
didn't have the will to fend it off with such methods as eating,
sleeping or moving.
But the nagging worry of what might be going on at Dib's house began
to chew on his brain, slowly and surely. Maybe he should go and see
what was happening. He didn't know why it mattered, it was probably
just his subconscious' way of keeping him from going completely mad
sitting there feeling sorry for himself. If there was one thing Zim
had always hated it was inactivity and indecisiveness. Anyway, maybe
a walk would help him to figure out just what was going on.
***
"Just to get rid of him?" Dib repeated, not really believing his ears.
"Yep, that's right," she nodded.
"...but that's, that's horrible."
She raised a purple eyebrow. "Oh? I thought you said you two were
enemies. Why should you care?"
"Well, we are, I guess, but," he tried to find the words to explain
it. "I well, I know how it is to be rejected..."
"Do you human? Hnnn, Zim was the most loyal of Irkens, and yet his
government repudiated him, merely because he was nuisance."
Dib sighed. He wondered what Zim would do now, knowing his mission
to conquer Earth was a fraud. Would he keep trying, out of spite, or
vengeance, or the desire to prove himself? Would he leave and try to
go home, or somewhere else? What would Dib do if he left? He could
barely remember life without their rivalry.
"You look really sad," Kiir remarked in a murmur. "Why is that? Does
the potential loss of your enemy trouble you so much?"
He thought about this. Was it simply that he needed an enemy, an
antithesis, to feel complete and useful? Someone to match wits with,
or was it something...more? He avoided the question.
"It was wrong," he said, turning it into a moral issue. "Even if they
wanted to get rid of him they shouldn't have lied."
She cocked her head to one side. "You're probably right. Perhaps it
would have been kinder to execute the poor fool, outright."
Dib winced. Execute him? "What did he do, anyway, to merit all this?"
"Oh, accidentally killed two of our 'great' leaders, caused countless
other deaths and countless amounts of property damage and general
social havoc." She grinned.
He raised an eyebrow. "You don't sound too upset about this," he
observed.
"Well, no, oh! I forgot to tell you. I'm an outlaw, a rebel leader,
as they say, High Commander Kiir of the Irken Underground. My
organization can only dream of causing as great a discord as Zim has
by accident, but of course I suppose that's the nature of chaos."
Dib blinked. It hadn't occurred to him that she might not be a loyal
supporter of her race. But, as not all humans were very gung-ho about
their governments he supposed there was no reason for all aliens to be
perfectly harmonious. In fact, that wouldn't have made much sense.
But he returned to the previous topic. "So, why exactly DIDN'T they
have him executed?" he wondered, it certainly all seemed serious enough.
She shrugged. "He was obedient and unquestioning, if overly exuberant
about it. Would you kill something that worshipped you like a god, even
if it did destroy your things?"
It was a good point. "I suppose not."
"I didn't think so."
He sat there for a moment, just thinking. Would everything be
different tomorrow? So many things had happened in one evening, he'd
nearly forgotten about the Orange aliens. He wondered if Kiir knew
anything about them. He figured it was worth a shot.
He was just about to ask when once more someone knocked on the door
downstairs. This time he leapt up to get it. There was really only one
person it could be, but he was learning not to count on anything this
evening.
"I'll be right back," he told Kiir and dashed out of the room and
back down the stairs. He unlocked and yanked open the door, to be
presented with a slight and glaring figure.
Under most circumstances he'd have immediately told Zim to go away,
and probably thrown a few insults and nearby objects at him. Or just
slammed the door outright. But as it was he pursed his lips, a private
gesture of concern. The alien didn't look particularly well.
"Ah, Zim?" he greeted uncertainly.
Zim narrowed his eyes.
***
"Is Kiir here?" he demanded, glaring slightly up at the human. Dib
seemed distracted and worried had he called the Earth media? Was he
waiting for an interview?
The Dib-human frowned. "Yes."
"Have you harmed her?" he asked suspiciously.
"Of course not!" he sounded affronted. "In don't hurt people who don't
attack me first, Zim."
So Kiir had refrained from being her usual impulsive self, and so, it
seemed had the human, as Zim could recall once or twice being attacked
without direct provocation.
"Why did you send here to me, Zim," he asked, sounding impatient.
He paused. What to say? "I was curious to see what would happen. Did
you not call your Earth news?"
***
Dib blinked. The news? He realized that it had never even crossed his
mind that he could have easily have jumped Kiir, tied her up and had
all the evidence he would ever need that aliens existed. He could still
do that now, he supposed, but it seemed to him that it would be deeply
wrong now that he had offered her his hospitality. Besides, speaking
with her had made her a lot more of a person rather than a creature to
be dissected. He suddenly realized that the same applied to Zim.
"Um, no, I haven't," he replied finally.
This seemed to surprise Zim. Neither of them said anything for a
moment.
"Would you...like to come in?" Dib asked slowly. He watched the
Irken's expression go from mild surprise to absolute shock, to deep
suspicion.
"What is this trick?" he demanded.
"No trick," Dib said, not quite sure why he was doing this. Zim was
still probably very dangerous, well, at least as dangerous as he always
was. Dib didn't suppose Zim's revelation had instantly dissolved their
enmity. But the night had been full of surprises already. He let the
invitation stand.
"Then why do you invite me in your home? Are we not enemies?" Zim
demanded, giving voice to their seemingly twin thoughts.
"I just thought...you might want to talk to Kiir. And it's cold out
and well," he hesitated. "And she told me about...about you mission."
Zim's gaze became cold and sharp as iced razorblades. "Zim does not
need your pity, Dib-human," he growled bitterly. He turned around and
started to leave.
"Wait, Zim," he said, "It's not pity. I'm just, sorry."
Zim looked back over his shoulder. "Why?" he demanded.
Dib couldn't answer.
The Irken walked away.
***
"You can sleep here," Dib said, showing her the room that had once
belonged to his mother. The ten years she'd been dead however, it had
come to be the ever infrequently used guest room. "I don't know what
sleeping arrangements you're used to, or how long you sleep but..." he
trailed off.
Kiir gave him a wry grin. "Personally I sleep as long as I can get
away with. These quarters are suitable."
Dib smiled nervously back. "Well, good night then."
She closed the door gently and Dib walked distractedly back to his
own room. He closed and locked the door, disrobing down to his frowny-
face patterned boxers and tossed the discarded garments into a heap in
the corner. He collapsed back onto the dark covers of his bed and
yanked off his glasses, setting them on the bedside table. His vision
instantly degraded into near nothingness, things becoming unintelligibly
blurry only about five inches from his nose. He pulled the covers up
over his slender, pale form.
He was confused. He didn't know what he felt towards Zim but it
clearly was not the loathing it had begun as, that much was obvious.
Hate didn't entail caring about what the person thought, or worrying
about them. But if not hate, what? He just couldn't tell. Perhaps he
should address the matter scientifically, or at least in a reasonably
ordered approach. Alright, first. Subject: Zim, alien Invader. Or at
least he had been, Dib had no idea if he was going to continue that
occupation now. But anyway, that wasn't on topic. For three years they
had gone to school together, been arch-rivals. For three years Zim had
been for all practical purposes the only person Dib spoke to or thought
about, the focus of his entire life. But was that only because he was
continually saving the world from him? Hypothetically, if Zim were to
renounce his bid for world domination would Dib still watch him during
class? If he were to fly away in his space ship tomorrow, never to
return, would Dib be upset? He didn't even need to really think about
the answer. It was yes, to both of them. But why, why? THAT was the
question! He knew he cared but the question was the reason, and the
extent! Was it simply because he felt some bond of kinship, that they
were somehow the same or similar in outlook and experience? That was
part of it, oh definitely. But if it were the whole of the answer would
thoughts of the alien stalk him waking or sleeping?
Dib's thoughts seemed to be winding themselves into some frenzied
crescendo, and he wished he could slow them down, sort them out and
catalogue them. He was terrible at analyzing his own emotions. But who
did he have to talk to? Not Zim himself certainly! His father wouldn't
bother to listen and he didn't even know Kiir. He didn't know anyone.
Evidently he didn't even know himself. He'd ask his sister, Gaz, but
she'd only make some smart remark about how he must be in lo-
Oh.
Damn.
To be continued...
Woooo. Interesting place to leave it, ne? Well, feedback is
appreciated, I'm afraid it's gonna be two weeks until the next chapter
but fear not! That means it'll be super good and super long!
Read it? Review it!