Yay! I was afraid that no one would find this story interesting due to the context and fan characters, but you've given me all the support and uplifting commentary I hoped for. Thankey!!!

Chapter 4

Press, click. Flip, snap.

Zim stood up slowly, adjusting to the hindrance of having both feet attached to the swerve-slick, red and ebony board. He smirked, a haughty glint in his goggle- veiled contact-concealed eyes, hands at his hips. And the humans said it would be difficult...Well, it would be for such inferior anatomy wouldn't it? Pulling the snow-cap down farther, warding off the absurdly chilly air, he turned his gaze downward. Dib could be seen a ways down the slope, dodging trees in an almost commendable fashion. Almost. Zim sighed, incensed. He would have to show these miserable earthlings how to do this 'snowboarding' properly. Leaning forward and swiveling the board in the direction he deemed fit to go, he began boarding down the slope.

And promptly fell.

Head-over board-attached heels rolling through the bitter fake snow drifts. Gaz chuckled, strapping on her board and watching her snow-eating, all existence-cursing lover roll comically down the hill. He very expertly, of course, collided head-long with a thin tree, snow harboring leaves shaking from the impact. An uncanny silence filled the air for a few moments, before the vocal torrent began.

She glided effortlessly down to the currently tree-hugging and foul-mouthed ranting alien. Skidding to a snow-spray halt beside his lost hat, she flung it at the back of his head before sitting down. "Now THAT looks yummy..." she commented as he pulled his face from the tattered bark. He spit out various bits of snow and wood, glaring at her.

"This IMBECILIC contraption is faulty!"

"Hmmm. Mine and Dib's work just fine. The loan shop must've been out to get YOU alone. But don't feel bad, it happens ALL the time." She laced her fingers together, chin resting on her gloomy-day gray waterproof pant knees. His eyes widened with realization.

"Yes! They planned this out somehow. STUPID humans!"

"Zim?"

"What?"

She grinned. "You suck. Incredibly so." He shot her a dirty look.

"The board..."

"Prevented you from bending your knees and shifting your superior weight, Yes, yes I know..." She waved a hand dismissively, rolling her eyes.

"Shut your wormhole!" he retorted defensively, crossing his borrowed-sweater arms.

"Ha! Make me." She blew him an extravagant kiss and headed down the snow-adorned track. His rants could be heard as he boarded after her with a new-born fury. A few Whumps! And Cracks! Could be detected along the way...

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Ritz and Eith returned to the table balancing four mugs of raspberry hot chocolate and random junk-food items on a bus-yellow tray. Ritz plopped down beside Remorse, tossing it a snickers bar. It caught the candy bar with a quick, black gloved hand similar to Eith's, eyeing the shiny foil from behind wrap-around sunglasses. It looked curious.

"And this is?"

"Tasty." Dementia replied, grinning and standing up. "You guys forgot napkins."

"Who needs napkins? We all have shirts on..." Eith rubbed a chocolate mustache on a black turtleneck sleeve. He sniffed at it. "Why wear cologne? Mmmm...raspberry chocolatey goodness. For the extra extra perspirant types. At a low low cost..."

Dementia wrinkled her nose in play disgust. "But it fails to disguise the stench of the overly-smelly..." She leaned over to the onlookers at the closest table. "And therefore we strongly suggest a more expensive brand for true results!" Picking up a man's cappuccino she took a long sip, batting her eyes. He grinned, blushing profusely. She set the cup back down on the tabletop, smacking shapely cherry-coke scented lips. Swiping a silky magenta-cloaked arm across her upper lip she smiled, eyeing the frothy stain. She raised it to her nose, inhaling deeply. Nodding at the now-happy cappuccino supplying man, she pranced off to fetch some napkins.

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Dib pulled open the door to the ski lodge, smiling to himself. This was turning out to be quite an entertaining trip...

He walked to the nearest table, eyes on the window as he watched Zim and his sister make their way to the building. Gaz leaned her board against the rack, watching as Zim mimicked the deed. Cupping a small wad of snow into her palm, she packed it into a dense ice-ball and hurled it at the already annoyed Irken. His eyes alone could've killed an innocent bystander, but the violet-haired young lady just laughed, pointing at him in a childish fashion. The alien threw his own snow-bomb, but it was easily side-stepped. He stomped his foot in frustration, scooping up more snow as he was once again pelted in the face. Thinking better of the white substance in his perpetually gloved hands, he let it slip to the ground and bolted at his girlfriend. She was caught off guard for no more than a second, before turning and running, cackling, off into the distance, closely pursued by a ticked off boyfriend.

Dib shook his head. They were so childish...

Clonk!

Muttering a few profane words and rubbing his now-throbbing forehead, Dib looked up to glare at the pole he had just walked into. But it wasn't a pole...

"If you're about to say that I have an extremely hard head, I'd like embellish on the fact that so do you..." She stated blatantly, eyebrows raised, hand at the back of her head.

Dib did a double take. Not only was this girl exceptionally pretty, but he recognized her face from the article that currently rested in his coat pocket.

"You...you're..."

"Reducing you to incoherency..." She smiled gently at him, noting the reddening cheeks.

He paused and looked at her sheepishly. "Heh. Yeah. Sorry."

"Forget it." She bent to pick up the scattered napkins. Hurriedly, Dib knelt down to help.

"I just recognized you from that article and....you're...well, a clone."

She frowned, eyeing him distrustfully. "Yeah. What about it? Are you going to rave about how inhuman I am, like the rest of the jerks who know?" Her eyes darkened slightly. "Because if you are..."

He stood up quickly. "No, no. I mean, I think its amazing. Wonderful. And that you're very beautiful..." he added, a deep crimson by now. He handed her the napkins. She looked him over suspiciously for a few moments, but seemed satisfied at last.

"Thank you." She grinned, taking the napkins. "Would you like to join us?" she asked, nodding her head towards where the other clones were dining.

"I...well, um...sure!" Dib stuttered, taken aback that he had just been invited to join someone for lunch. A very attractive someone...

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"So...all of you are clones?" Dib asked, looking around at his new-found friends.

"Yes." The petite black-haired one replied. She reminded him of a nymph or some sort of fae creature. He stared at her for a minute, puzzling at the deeply troubled look she got in her eyes from time to time. She caught him looking at her and smiled faintly. "Unfortunately..." He didn't understand.

"What do you mean? What I wouldn't give to be able to do even some of the things you do..."

"Do you even know what we 'do'?"

Dib turned to Eith. Another exotic face, framed with forest green waves. He didn't like the underlying tone of the male clone's question. He suddenly felt disturbed. "What do you mean?"

"Sure, we're stronger, quicker, and smarter than any other human, but it comes with a price." Eith took another bite out of his sandwich, not wishing to say any more.

Dementia saw the confused look on the boy's face before he masked it and began eating his soup in silence. She felt remotely bad for him. "Look. Sorry about the touchiness, Dib, but none of us has met a decent natural human, that's interested in us for what we are, that is...I'm sure you mean well, though. So, you seem to be the curious, scientific, intelligent type. Who do you take after, mom or dad?" She sipped her hot chocolate, longingly imagining what her own parents would have been like, if she had had any...

"Well, my dad's a real science fanatic. He spends the majority of his time in his lab, or at his facility installation back in New York. And my mom, well..she's kinda the more imaginative type..." He stopped, they were all looking at him oddly.

Dementia spoke. "Your dad owns the science institution in New York? You're talking about THE Prof. Membrane?..." she asked for clarification.

Dib blushed. "Yeah, he's my father. But its really not a big deal. I mean..."

They were all staring at him in absolute silence. What was that expression on their faces? Resentment? Determination? Hope?

He faltered. "Eh..."

Dementia clasped his hand in hers. "Dib. I won't lie to you. I'm not a nice person. I've done more nasty deeds in my life than I can count. And, in all honesty....I hate it." She grimaced and looked around at her companions. "We all do. The institution we belong to is corrupt. Beyond corrupt..." She couldn't decipher the look in his eyes, she closed her mouth, carefully phrasing her plea. "I know that you have the utmost respect for what the scientists of our institution have done. Their accomplishments are great. I realize this as well. But you must believe me when I say that they are not utilizing their accomplishments for the good of mankind. Are you following me?"

He nodded. Was she suggesting what he thought she was? It was impossible...it was...

"You and your father are perhaps the only natural-humans on this planet that could put an end to the horrible...horrible..." Ritz paused, fist at her mouth, eyes streaming. She looked sick...

Inevitable, he realized. Once given the power to create, humanity inexorably would use it to destroy...History could vouch for that, and Religion...he chose not to even go there.

He sighed, wondering vaguely if his dad would classify THIS as 'real' science. He looked around the table, eyeing each face pensively. He honestly didn't doubt the truth behind their words, but merely wondered at the consequences of going against a branch of his country's own government. High treason, undeniably. But was the country not founded on the principle that a corrupt government should be brought to its tyrannical knees...?

He handed Ritz a napkin, a small smile on his lips, a determined gleam in his eyes.

"I'll help you."