Wahoo, next chapter up! I'm on a major writing spree now coz I just noticed I've summer exams in three weeks and then I'm working in the states for the summer. Eep, I so gotta finish all my fics before that! Agh!!! Anywho...on to the fic. I know stuff is moving really sllllooooooooooowww at the moment but I just can't justify Zim and Dib suddenly being all happy and lovey dovey so quickly. Don't worry though coz I will get there, pretty soon in fact.....
P.S. Thanks everyone for reviewing!
Disclaimer: Nope don't own Invader Zim. Own probably far to much merchandising to be certified sane but that's another story... Also Blurry is owned/written by Puddle of Mudd, Flawless records etc...not a poor Irish student (.ie. me)
Everything's so blurry and everyone's so fake
Everybody's empty & everyone is so messed up
Preoccupied without you I cannot live at all
My whole world surrounds you
I stumble and I crawl
And you could be my someone
You could be my scene
You know that I'll protect you from all of the obscene
I wonder what you're doing,
I wonder where you are
There's oceans in between us but that's not very far
Zim wearily trudged to hi skool the next day. Yesterdays previous exuberance was replaced by a worried frown and deflated stroll. He had spent the night thinking about Dib and how it was all going to end. It was not at all like he had thought. He just couldn't shake the feeling that this was all wrong. Frustrated he quashed these feelings deep down inside him. No more of these weak thoughts. Dib would no longer pose a threat to his domination of Earth. That was a fact to be celebrated. Not something to go all mopey and introspective about. All right, so he wasn't going to beat the foolish human into submission and the pathetic worm-baby would never get to witness his triumph, but in the end did it really matter? No-one, well no-one with any intelligence, would ever know of their past conflict. He could just tell the Tallest he had disposed of Dib and his glory would be even more revered.
Feeling slightly better he entered the school and made his way to homeroom. He noticed with disgust that the class had long forgotten Dib along with their attachment and sympathy for him. Pathetic, fickle race. He took his seat and tried to ignore the idle gossip and inane babble of his so called peers. While Zim was in the process of furiously doing last nights assignments, which in his flustered state he had ignored, the teacher entered. She failed to ensnare his attention as he continued to work out his algebra. The teacher droned on, issuing some statements from the principal relating to insignificant matters. She finished her announcements and began to prepare for her lesson when she called out Zim's name.
He looked up upon hearing his name, assuming he had been caught not paying attention. Whether or not the teacher had seen or even cared what he was doing failed to register on her face. "Zim?" She asked again, slightly aggravated.
"Yes?" He feigned innocence.
"You are excused from this class. Report to the counsellor immediately." She once more ignored him and began shuffling through some papers.
Zim got up from his desk in a daze. Why would the counsellor want to see him? Unless she had seen him sneaking out of class yesterday. Damn it! He was going to get detention for sure. Well, that if nothing else was definitely going to throw a spanner in the works of his latest plan. That and nothing else....? He sighed as a little voice whispered in the back of his head. Stupid brain.
Straightening his spine he strode towards the counsellors office. No way was some skinny, meat bag going to intimidate him. He knocked roughly on the door and waited for a response.
"Come in." A sickeningly sweet voice called from behind the door. Taking a deep breath, Zim confidently strode into the bright office. It was quite a small room, with abstract paintings adorning the walls. A small desk was placed to the rear of the room, behind which sat Ms. Summers. In front of the desk were two armchairs, looking very out of place. "Zim." She smiled at him, moving from behind her desk. "I see Ms. O'Connor passed on the message ok?" Motioning to one of the armchairs while she sat in the other herself.
"Yes." Zim took the offered chair, thrown slightly by her manner. She certainly didn't seem mad he left class.
"I'm sure you know why you're here-"
Zim cut her off. "I wasn't feeling well yesterday. My parents were supposed to ring. I guess they forgot." He rambled.
Summers, meanwhile had been shaking her head. Yet she made no immediate reference to his statement. "All lot of people were upset by the news yesterday."
Zim regarded her for sometime. Did she expect him to remark on this? If he wasn't in trouble, then why was he here?
"I can see it's going to be an effort with you." She laughed slightly, noting Zim's silence but not his confusion. "I'm just wondering how you're doing."
"How I'm doing what?" After so many years some human colloquialisms still confused him.
Ms. Summers took a deep breath and held it momentarily before releasing. "Zim it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see you were upset by yesterdays news. Dib was your class mate and-"
Zim cut her off, anger twisting his Irken equivalent of a gut. "I was not upset. And Dib isn't dead yet, you speak as if he is." He believed both these statements to be true, even if they appeared contradictory.
Ms. Summers smiled slightly and scribbled a few notes in a notebook next to her. Zim glared up at her but she failed to notice. She decided to take a different approach. "You and Dib don't get on very well, do you?" She took some files from a folder on the desk and began leafing through them, glancing at Zim occasionally.
There goes the under statement of the century! "No, not really." He replied calmly. He didn't like this woman asking these questions. Who did she think she was?
"And how does that make you feel?" She lay the files on her lap and regarded Zim intently.
Unconsciously he grimaced at the question. How does that make you feel? These damn Earthenoids and their mental health. How was it supposed to make him feel? What a ridiculous question. Coming up with no satisfactory answer, he merely shrugged his shoulders in response.
Again she made a note in her notebook, but this time Zim was slightly distracted and failed to notice. "Your middle skool passed on their records to us. Apparently you and Dib begun fighting on your very first day."
"He started it." Zim replied lamely.
"I noticed something interesting when reading through both of your files from middle school and hi skool." Zim looked up, intrigued in spite of himself. "They're practically identical. Both performed excellent academically, though prone to negative emotional out bursts. Both some what lacking in sport interest." She paused briefly. "Both loners, often picked on by other children....the list of similarities goes on. I find that interesting, don't you Zim?" She looked up at him again, her gaze never faltering.
Zim let his eyes fall to the ground. He'd never considered any of that. But what of it? Of course, logically, both he and Dib would seem alike. They were single minded, both focused on attaining one goal, namely stopping the other.
"It is interesting though, isn't it Zim?" Summers probed further. Zim had lost his arrogant poise and was some what slumped in the chair, his short legs dangling slightly above the ground. "Zim?"
"Maybe." He replied, finally meeting her eyes.
"Do you suppose that's why you don't get on?"
Zim almost laughed out loud, if only she knew the real reason. Though even in her ignorance it seemed preposterous. "We don't get along because we are so alike?" He couldn't keep the mocking tone from his voice.
"Precisely." Strangely, she seemed encouraged by his answer, no matter how flippant the tone. "If faced with yourself how do you think you'd cope?"
Zim furrowed his brow in confusion. He did have quite an overwhelming personality, it was probably best there was only one of him occupying the planet at present. But that meant nothing, her reasoning was flawed. He was nothing like Dib. Each hated everything the other stood for. It was crazy to even think they were alike. "That's different. I'm nothing like Dib, nothing." Two days ago that sentence would have been dripping with malice, perhaps even accompanied by a rant about how much better he was than Dib, but the pathetic image of the ghostly, self-proclaimed paranormal investigator flashed in Zim's mind silencing him.
She arched an eyebrow in response. "Why do you suppose you don't get on?"
Lie! "Eh, I don't know."
"I think you do, Zim." She retained eye contact.
"No, I can't think of anything." Zim faltered and his eyes fell to his hands.
"It didn't start for no reason."
"I guess we just got off on the wrong foot."
"Zim, something must have started this rivalry. It's been going on for years now."
She just doesn't give up, Zim fumed. "Fine! I'm trying to take over the world for an alien empire and Dib is all that stands between me and that goal!"
Summers, scribbled some notes but otherwise she seemed unaffected. Obviously she thought Zim was using symbolism. "Ok. And if you both had the same goal, if say you both wanted to take over the world, do you think you'd get on then?"
Zim could only gape at her. Humans really were the most idiotic race in the universe! Here he was openly admitting who he was and what he was doing and they still didn't see. Or didn't want to see. So this is how it felt to be Dib.
She took Zim's reaction to be surprise and possible acceptance. "You see, Zim, I think your differences with Dib are only circumstantial. If you could get past them I think you could have got on better, maybe even been friends. You both have so much in common. I think you feel guilty right now for how you treated each other. Before it didn't matter if you fought but now you're going to loose Dib and it's affecting you greatly, you just don't understand why."
Zim couldn't look up. This couldn't be true. He didn't care about Dib. Nothing would ever change, this was crazy. This woman knew nothing!
"You've been frustrated since you heard the news, haven't you? Confused and maybe...scared." Summers leaned closer, tempted to take Zim's hand but taking his posture she decided against it.
Zim bit his lip. He wasn't scared. Nothing scared him.
She moved her chair closer to Zim, but still refrained from touching him. "Do you think it would make both of you feel better if you put the past behind you?" She paused and took a deep breath. "Look at me, Zim." She reached forward and paced her hand of his. Zim pulled his hand back as if it had been burned but looked up at her. "Can you keep a secret? It's very important." Zim nodded. She took a deep breath before beginning. "Dib is going to die. He has refused treatment, but even with chemotherapy he would only get a few months at best."
Zim swallowed with great difficulty. Why was she telling him this? He didn't want tot hear any more.
"I think it would make both of you feel better if you tried to make amends. You have nothing to loose. Don't live in regret."
Zim wrung his hands. His insides felt tied in knots. He wanted to leave, to get away from here, from this woman. He hated how she was making him feel. "I have to leave." He got up and made his to the door.
She got up and followed him. "Zim I think we've more to talk about. Many of your teachers have-"
"Can you make me stay here?" Zim turned to her.
"Technically, no but-" Before she finished the sentence she heard the door slam and she was alone in her office. She sighed and returned to her desk, scribbling a few more notes on Zim and writing a memo to the principal, requesting continued work with him.
.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.
Zim sighed as he left the office. All of this was driving him crazy. He was fed up, being around skool was distracting him. He needed to continue with his current plan. Checking the hall he made a dash for the back door and once more left the skool. He quickly marched home where he found GIR covered in chocolate sauce, watching The Scary Monkey show. Ignoring the crazy robot's protestations of love Zim flushed himself down to his lab. He began examining specimens in small incubators. He had got his latest plan, he was embarrassed to admit, from the television. Some crazy show GIR had been watching about an idiotic delivery boy in the future. One particular episode involving brain slugs caught his attention. The concept had intrigued Zim and he had begun developing his own killer slugs, altering them on the genetic level. Soon they would be ready to set loose on the planet....as soon as he managed to figure out why they kept eating each other.
He frowned as counted them. Five eaten, although that was better than last week. Picking up a strange looking device he scanned the progress of the soon to be killer slugs and fed it into the main computer. He began flicking through diagrams of DNA sequences and protein chains, but none of it really sank in. Despite his attempts his mind kept wandering to Dib and what the counsellor had said. Would they have been friends if he had been human? Eugh, what did it matter. Hypothetical situations and what if's were counter productive. Almost without thinking he pulled his files on Dib. They were extensive to say the least. What was that human phrase, know thine enemey? Pressing a few keys he brought up Dib's DNA sequence. Thank the Tallest he had stolen Dib's voice box back in middle skool and was able to acquire such information. Wait, thank the Tallest? What did he care? This was purely for research value. It may prove useful in the future, in the off chance his brain slug idea didn't work out.
"Computer scan for any abnormalities in Dib's genetic code and display possible effects of such abnormalities." He drummed his fingers on the keyboard, chin rested in his other hand.
"Okey dokey." The computer replied as he it began running the various programs needed for such a task. In a few seconds various windows popped up on the screen displaying the results.
Zim moved forward in his chair as he scrolled through the conclusions. An abnormality in the construction of the lenses of his eyes ensured his eyes couldn't focus properly without aid. He had extra ligaments in his elbows meaning they were double jointed within limits. And an abnormality in his lymphocytes caused excess production, slowly killing him. Zim sighed. So Dib was flawed on the genetic level. There really was no hope for him. He doubted even Irken medicine could help him. Smeets were not allowed to develop with such defects and so treatments to combat such a condition were never required. Dib really was going to die.
He pushed his chair back from the console and slumped low in it. What did it matter? Why did her care? Why? Were he and Dib really alike? So what if they were, it made no difference. He was still Zim, and Dib was still a foolish stink beast. He closed his eyes and began massaging his temples, he could feel a migraine coming on. Sighing he got up from the chair and exited the lab. He needed to get out, to get some air.
GIR tried to get up and hug his master as he marched through the living room but had managed to get himself stuck to the television with chocolate sauce and so he merely waved. Zim tried his best to ignore him. He slowly strolled through his neighbourhood and towards town. Without thinking he found himself outside the hospital Dib was in. He stared up at it momentarily before turning around and heading home.
.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.
Dib sat in an uncomfortable plastic chair staring out the window. He knew if he was found out of bed the nurses would have strict words with him. But, hey, what could they do, kill him? He brought his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them. With a defeated sigh he rested his head on his arms and stared out the window. People walked passed the hospital oblivious to what tragedies were unfolding inside. Dib couldn't believe this was how he was going to die, in a hospital at the age of seventeen. Of course he'd always know there was a possibility he would get the same disease his mother had died from...but now? He wasn't even finished skool! Maybe from hypothermia while chasing a yeti or exuded of his lifeblood in pursuit of nosferatu (never to Zim, of course), but this just seemed so premature. His life seemed completely meaningless, why be put on this Earth at all if he was destined to leave so early?
He ran a hand through his unruly black hair and glanced out the window. He jaw fell open and he scooched the chair closer to the window. Zim?! Again? What was he doing back? The small, green boy was staring up at the building, looking like he had yesterday; deflated and confused. He shook his head before turning on heal and heading back towards his house. Dib watched him continue down the road before he stopped and turned around, making his way back towards the hospital. Dib furrowed his brow in confusion. What was he doing back? He stood up and watched the alien, frowning when his disappeared under the porch of the hospital. Feeling slightly weak from the exercise, he sat back down in the chair and waited to see if Zim would come.
After some time he begun to doubt he would appear and Dib begun to grow bored. There was just nothing to do in this place. The door suddenly swinging open startled him and he looked around, knowing full well who would be in the doorway.
Zim looked to the bed first and his heart raced when he found it empty.
"What are you doing back?"
He turned to find Dib curled up in a chair near the window.
Zim stood behind him, one hand on his hips, the other clutching a brown paper bag. "Your weak human immune system cannot cope with such exposure, especially in its..." Zim racked his brains. "-weakened state."
"Like it's going to make a difference." Dib returned his stare to the going ons out side.
Zim glared at Dib's back. He looked somewhat like a spider with his long legs and arms curled up around his thin frame. He swallowed, wanting to say something but not knowing what.
"So...taken over many countries yet? I hear the south of France is nice this time of year." Dib asked, resting his head on his arms and closing his eyes.
"I am staying with my plan to take over America first." Zim took a few steps forward, stopping in front of the window and joining Dib in staring aimlessly out.
"I suppose that gives you more time to learn French, German and all those other languages." Dib's voice was thin and hoarse and he coughed a few times.
Zim stared out of the window, drumming his claws on the sill. What was he doing here? The questions the counsellor had posed plagued his mind. He wanted to know what Dib thought of all this, but didn't know how to bring it up. He watched out of the corner of his eye the other boy curled up on the chair, his eyes closed as if sleeping. "Dib-human?"
Dib raised his eyebrows in response but failed to open his eyes.
"What would you have done if I had not tried to take over the world? Would you still try and dissect me?" Zim kept his gaze out towards the city, not daring to observe Dib's reaction.
The question certainly caught Dib's attention. He raised his head and stared at the alien, confusion marring his brow. "Why?"
Zim simply shrugged, ensuring his back was still to Dib.
"Why, Zim? What...does it...matter?" Dib coughed slightly, swallowing hard. His voice became bitter. "Why are...you here...AGAIN! What....kind of trick...is this? What..are you...up to?" All of Dib's repressed anger and resentment boiled to the surface. Zim still refused to look at him, frustrating Dib even more. "Zim? ZIM?!"
"What's going on here?" Both Zim and Dib turned to find a large, round nurse staring at them her hands on her hips and a stern look on her face. "Dib Membrane what are you doing out of bed again? Up, come on back under the covers." She moved towards him and began sorting the various tubes attached to him so he could climb into bed easier.
Dib watched her momentarily before beginning to unwrap himself and get out of the chair. His movements were slow and languid. The nurse frowned at him before casting her eyes on Zim. "You!" She boomed. Zim started, his eyes wandering to the open door. "What are you doing? Leaving your friend to get up by himself when he's sick. Come on lend a hand." She motioned him towards Dib, taking one of the sick boy's arms and gesturing for Zim to take the other.
"No!" Dib startled them both. "I can do it myself. I don't need his help." Dib threw Zim a dirty look and wrenched his arm away from the alien. He expected some kind of retort from Zim but only received a blank stare. Shakily Dib got to his feet and began slowly walking back to the bed. The nurse watched him intently, pity clearly evident in her eyes. Dib put a hand on the drip stand and tried to push it back towards the bed, but try as he might he just could not summon the strength to move it. Tears of frustration and fear began to well up in his eyes. Why couldn't he move the stupid stand? It only weighed a few pounds. Had he really got so weak? He almost fell over however when it began quickly moving forward. He looked to his right and found Zim slowly moving the drip stand towards the bed, avoiding Dib's eyes. Dib felt the needle inserted in the back of his hand tug as Zim moved it closer to the bed. The green skinned boy turned to look at him, his eyes seeming to say "well, what's taking you?" As quickly as he could Dib made his way back to the bed and climbed in.
Once he was settled the nurse began tucking him in scowling again. "Walking around in the cold in your condition." She clicked her tongue a few times and pulled a few medical instruments from a tray. "I need to take some blood, Dib, ok?" She began securing a tape around his upper arm. Dib merely nodded, although it appeared to Zim he didn't have much choice. She inserted a collecting vial into a small needle like-instrument already in Dib's arm. Immediately the vial began to fill with bright red blood. "And what are you doing here?"
Zim's attention was so fixed on the blood running into the vial that at first he did not hear the question. "Eh, I'm here for..."
"Shouldn't you be at school?" She looked up from Dib's arm.
"He's getting a check up on his skin condition." Dib refused to meet Zim's eyes as he stared at his arm. The nurse was changing the vial and replacing it with another.
"Really?" The nurse asked, as she fiddled with the vial. "What condition is that?" She eyed Zim's jade skin intrigued.
"Eh...it's called…ickerglob vanearthitus." Zim mumbled.
"Really? I've never heard of that." The nurse look at him sceptically.
"Yes, it's very rare." Zim responded, smirking to himself.
"Hmm, I- Ah, damn it!" The nurse cursed dropping the vial. Blood stained the floor. "I'm sorry Dib. The needle came out. I'll have to put in a new one."
Dib winced. He hate needles, especially ones for taking blood. He could never bend his elbow properly with it in and the thought of the hollow needle nestled in his vein was repulsive.
"Ah, come on now. It doesn't hurt that much. I'll just go get a needle, ok?" She patted his hand before exiting the room.
Dib sighed and closed his eyes. He REALLY hated needles. He covered his eyes with his hands and took deep, calming breaths. He wouldn't show Zim his fear.
Zim observed him for a moment. What a strange thing for the human to fear. He glanced at Dib's arm. A small trail of blood was running from the puncture wound inside his elbow. The vial of blood left on the tray drew his attention. Glancing once more at Dib, he moved forward and grabbed the vial depositing quietly it in his ID pack.
Dib sensed movement and took his hands away, his gaze once more falling on Zim. "Ickerglob vanearthitus?"
"My own language. Stupid nosy earthenoid" Zim smirked. "-itus"
Dib laughed in spite of himself. At least Zim was distracting him from horrible needle threat. "You never...answered...my question."
Zim's response was avoided by the nurse returning to the room. "Ok Dib, here we go." She swabbed his skin with an alcohol wipe before angling the needle, aligning it with a vein. Dib winced slightly at the familiar pinch of his skin. Quickly the nurse secured the needle and playfully slapped Dib on the wrist. "Now, that wasn't too bad was it?" She didn't wait for a response before putting another vial to his elbow. Once it was filled she turned to the tray. She started slightly, looking around. "I thought I..." She continued to search for the other vial, lifting up blankets and even bending down to look under the bed. "Hmm...It must have fallen with the other I suppose. Right Dib, last time I promise." She fished another vial from the tray and proceeded to take another blood sample.
"I though you only needed two?" Dib asked. She was taking more blood? Eugh, the thought was really making him feel ill.
"I must have dropped both of them before. Don't worry, you've loads of blood to spare." She took the last vial and placed it on the tray with the other. "Now, I don't want to catch you out of bed again, young man, you heard me?" She scowled as she left the room, sparing the time to give Dib one last warning look before closing the door.
"I brought you grapes." Zim startled Dib, depositing a large brown bag on his lap.
"Why?" Dib asked, opening the bag and inspecting the contents.
"The majority of humans entering the hospital were carrying fruit. It made me less conspicuous."
"You? Less...conspicuous? Zim,...you have green skin,...are about half...the size of...everyone your age...and don't have a nose...or ears, there's...no way you can...ever be less conspicuous."
"I recently became aquatinted with how blind you race is. I...accidentally let the school counsellor know my true identity, my mission and your knowledge of those facts."
Dib almost choked. "You did...WHAT?! Why? What...did she say?"
"Nothing." Zim consciously avoided the second question. The less Dib knew about why, the better. "I think she believes I have mental problems."
"You do have...mental problems, Zim." Dib frowned. "She didn't...believe you? Can't...say I'm surprised. Hopefully...I'll be...like Van Goth...or something. Only...fully appreciated...after death."
"Zim will never be defeated! Soon I will hold your planet in an iron grip. However, I will consider mentioning you in my memoirs; My Incredible Career, by Invader Zim." Zim folded his arms, narrowing his eyes. "As a footnote."
"You're going…to have to explain…how come it took…you so long to…take over…the world." Dib yawned, his eyelids feeling heavy.
"True, but I find lying a great asset in cases such as these." He watched as Dib began fall asleep. He must have been really sick, Zim mused. He was really letting his guard down.
"I don't know."
"What?" Zim wasn't sure if he imagined that. Dib's voice was barely above a whisper.
"I...don't know, if...I would have...tried to...dissect you." Dib's eyes remained closed and his breathing became heavier.
"What do you mean?" Zim took a step forward, having difficulty hearing Dib.
"I...don't know if...it would have...mattered. Your my...mine..." Dib was struggling to stay awake.
"Wh..what?" Zim instinctively took a step forward.
"Mine...my proof." Dib replied as he slipped into unconsciousness.
Zim frowned. He felt his chest tighten. He was only a specimen to Dib. Nothing more....Good. It was good that Dib didn't care for him. Very good. Probably the best thing since, what was it humans said, sliced….muffins? Muffins? Well, so form of baked item anyway. Wait! He meant care about him. It was a good thing that Dib didn't care about him. He quietly turned and walked out of the room. As he slowly walked towards home he pulled the vial of Dib's blood from his pack and stared at it the entire journey.
End Chapter Two.....
Well, what do ya think?!?! Please review and give your opinions. Also I've noticed I seem to write on the long side, so would you guys prefer more regular up dates of shorter chapters or less frequent, but longer up dates? Either way is good with me! I'm a Librian, we're pretty easy going!
P.S. Anyone get the Futurama or Red Dwarf references there? I'll be so impressed if anyone gets the Red Dwarf one! Sooo Impressed