A/n Hi! Listen, I'm sorry I have made you guys wait, but here is the fourth chapter to YEWYD! (You Either Walk or You Don't) I have prep school (blah, hate it) and have tons of homework and stuff so I will try to get a chapter in every week! I hope you all forgive me for making you wait…
Also, I give credit of this story to Invader Johnny, who gave me an idea for this chapter. Everyone give him a round of applause!
Disclaimer: I do not own Invader Zim. If I did, I would have made a Nickelodeon movie of Invader Zim. Yeah, that's what I would do…
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Chapter 4: "Can I stay with you?"
Dib awoke as the sunlight filled in through his small window. His abnormally large head ached with pain as the room swam before his dusky yellow eyes.
"Damn it Gaz, how could you visit him again?" Muttered Dib as he swung his legs over the edge of the bed. He scratched his but as he walked to his bathroom, reflecting over the recent events of last night…
-----Flashback----------------------------
Dib was watching Mysterious Mysteries as usual, grabbing the last Poop Soda out of the fridge. He plopped down in front of the T.V. and snatched the remote as the door slammed, an unproclaimed announcement that Gaz was home.
"Gaz, where the hell have you—"Dib stared in shock as a certain green boy followed behind her, looking at the small house with a bit of disgust on his face. Dib grit his teeth as he stomped towards them.
"What the hell is he doing here?"
Gaz gave a small glare as she pointed to Zim, who was obviously ignoring the conversation.
"He helped me with my chemistry homework, so I invited him over for some video games." She said matter-of-factly. Dib merely stared.
"He's the enemy Gaz! He obviously hypnotized you into bringing him here!" Yelled Dib as he waved his arms like a maniac.
"He's here as my guest you idiot! It's not any of your business who I hang out with! I need someone else to talk to me instead of your stupid voice popping my ears!" Yelled Gaz equally as loud.
"Whatever, but he's trying to take over the world! You just can't just—"
"Can you two stupid earth babies quit talking like I'm not here?" Stated Zim as he walked between the two growling teenagers.
"GET THE HELL OUT OF OUR HOUSE!" Dib yelled as he pulled out a water pistol and aimed it at Zim. Zim's eyes opened wide and he slowly backed away towards the door.
"Not quick enough, alien scum!" Dib squirted the water at Zim and hit him head on…
…but it wasn't burning his skin.
Everyone stared as the own green boy stared down at his not smoking body. The only sound was Dib's insane chuckle.
"AH! Knew you'd covered yourself with stupid paste Zim! What's the matter? Afraid of a little water?" Taunted Dib as his stupid red spike fell limp in front of eyes, lit up with madness.
Zim slowly backed away to the door, his eyes wide as they could possibly get.
"I'm not covered in paste…"
---------end flashback------------------------
Dib slapped himself. He was obviously hallucinating since he was so drunk the night before. He turned the sink tap on full blast with steaming hot water and let it fog up the mirror.
"This can't be right…unless…"
Dib's eyes opened wide.
"He's experiencing some sort of adaptation…evolution…" Whispered the spiky-haired youth.
"Not for long." Hissed a deadly voice behind him.
Dib wiped the mirror with his free hand to see a pair of royal purple orbs to stare into his. A soft ray of light outlined his back and he froze.
"Say goodbye human."
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Gaz breathed heavily as she ran to her locker to get her charcoal sticks for her next project. Today, she wore black baggy jeans with chains with a purple bandana tied to one knee. Gaz then wore a dark violet corset top while wearing a cropped black sweater over it. On her feet, of course, was a pair of black converse with skull-and-crossbones shoelaces. She skidded to a stop and inserted her combo and wrenched it opened.
"He better have waited for me, dammit." Gaz muttered under her breath as her thoughts turned to the alien in question. After much 'convincing', Gaz made Zim promise to meet her after school so they could go have a coffee date at her favourite café, the Raven's Lair.
Gaz slightly blushed at the thought of it being a date.
She pushed the thought away as she heard a familiar rant around the corner of the hall. Gaz turned from behind the locker door, eyebrow arched, and closed it to go and investigate.
There was Zim, with a tight black shirt on with black baggy pants with chains on them with flaming red converse. His hair (thanks to Gaz) now stuck up straight from his head in spikes, with one area that was splotched red. Torque Smacky was taunting Zim with insults of green skin and no ears. Since Zim could not back away from a challenge, he charged at Torque head-on and tackled him to the ground.
"Zim, stop!" Yelled Gaz as she pushed her way through the crowd of people, tearing out their minds on the pointless battle. She winced as someone pulled on her braid, and the band broke off. Taking no heed of this, she finally got to the center and managed to yell at her loudest.
"WHAT THE FUCKIN' HELL ARE YOU DOING?"
Both boys turned to look at the little Goth girl who was obviously pissed. Zim snarled at Torque and pushed him back against the wall. The big-boned jock glared and ran down the hall yelling profanities as he went.
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"I didn't need you to stop me. I was fine on my own." Zim muttered under his breath as he walked down the street with Gaz. Her violet hair fluttered down her back in waves, reaching to the small of her back.
Zim watched her graceful figure, entranced. He liked how her face was in its usual stoic expression, how her slender arms sat on her waist when she pouted, how her nice ass fit into those baggy—
Zim mentally slapped himself. Her ass? Feh, I've been spending too much time on this filthy planet. Once again Zim found his eyes on the back of her head, dark locks swinging as she walked.
He had to admit that she was certainly attractive. Hell, even on Irk she would be attractive! Zim kept on pondering why he hadn't seen her this way before.
"We're here." Said Gaz in her usual monotone voice. Zim, not paying attention, bumped into her, the bottom half of his face smashing into her soft hair. He pulled away quickly, but not before he got a great whiff of lavender. On his face, a light emerald streak appeared but he willed it back as Gaz turned to face him.
"It's okay, I guess. You should be grateful human that I, the mighty Zim, decided to come to this establishment of which you speak of!" Zim yelled as he laughed maniacally, and people walking past just sped up. Gaz smacked her forehead.
Some things never change…
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Dib squinted his eyes open as he looked at the tall figure before him. His lip was bleeding profusely and the figure had their foot on top of torso, cracking a few more ribs. Dib winced as he felt the pain in his lower abdomen.
"I thought you'd never come back…" Wheezed Dib as he struggled to get up.
The figure kicked him in the side, causing Dib to cry out in pain. Green lips twisted into a smirk.
"I've come to destroy him you know. He has humiliated me for the last time, and this time I'm going to make him pay."
"You know," It took all of Dib's will power to keep him from losing consciousness. "I really did like you, but then again, you're weird." The figure replied lazily as they ground one of their heeled boots into his torso. Dib cried out and then fell limp.
Just then, Professor Membrane waltzed into Dib's room, unknowingly not knowing that his murderer was right in the bathroom.
"Where are you son? I want to show you a real example of science—"
His sentence was cut short when he glimpsed inside the young boy's lavatory to find a green-skinned figure standing over his son's body. Blood splattered the white tile and Dib wasn't moving.
The professor gasped and the figure turned around. Cold, purple eyes stared into his as they aimed their laser right at his head.
"I have time to make at least one more masterpiece."
And with that, Professor Membrane's magnificent brain ended up splattered on the walls, the skull completely shattered. The decapitated body fell to the already bloodied carpet.
The figured grinned maliciously and tucked their laser gun into their belt, and activated their spider legs from their PAK.
"Time to get to work."
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Zim looked around the dark café that Gaz pulled him into. It was like a mix between a coffee shop, a bookstore, and a witchcraft store. Several teens were lounging around on sofas and bean bag chairs, while others were reading books at the café area. Gothic-sounding rock music was playing softly in the background and numerous posters of rock bands were taped to the walls.
"This is it?" Asked Zim curiously as he walked behind Gaz. So far, he was a little intimidated by the other people staring at him.
It's probably the earless green head. Thought Zim as he sat next to Gaz in a small round table in the corner.
A smoky-eyed girl came up to their table holding a notepad. She had curly black hair and a round olive-tannish face. She wore a pair of faded, torn jeans and a pair of black converse. Her laces were red and black and she wore a blood red tank with a black leather corset around the waist.
"Hey chica. Will it be the usual?" Asked the girl with a bit of a Hispanic accent. Gaz smiled slightly and nodded.
"Oh yeah, I brought a friend. This is Zim." Zim waved hi a little shyly. The girl laughed at this. "And Zim, this is Bianca. She works here as a waitress."
"What's up Zim? What you want?" Said Bianca as she flipped her ebony tangles over one shoulder.
"I'll have whatever she's having." Said Zim uncertainly. Bianca nodded and went off into the back.
Gaz looked at Zim. His fingers constantly drummed the surface of the table, obviously nervous. She chuckled a little bit and flicked a ball of napkin at his head. He glared at her.
"What you do that for?" Demanded Zim as Gaz laughed some more.
"You need to lighten up a bit. No one here is gonna bite."
"Well, except me." She added as a bit of an after thought. Zim looked at her fearfully and leaned back in his chair to give a reasonable amount of space between them. Gaz smirked.
"Well, here are your orders." Said Bianca as she brought two cups of coffee and a small plate of mini chocolate-chip cookies.
"Thanks Bianca. Put it on my tab." Said Gaz as the curly-haired waitress walked away.
"So, I take it you've been here before." Said Zim, desperate for a conversation starter. Obviously, he chose a good one, as Gaz opened her amber eyes.
"I found this place when I was thirteen, and I've never been better. I've found a few friends here, like that Bianca chick you just saw." Gaz said, motioning over to Bianca who was now sitting down reading Edgar Allan Poe. "People are okay here; just looking for a place to escape reality…" Gaz's voice was now below a whisper, and she was looking at a couple who were snuggling on one of the couches in the lounge.
Zim stared at her. She was so melancholy, that her expression was one of sadness and serenity. Her half-lidded eyes fluttered her long eyelashes and her pale complexion seemed to glow in the dim light. Gaz sighed and took a sip of her coffee.
"Aren't you gonna drink it?" Said Gaz suddenly, snapping Zim out of his reverie. He quickly looked away and muttered, "You know that water and I don't mix…"
"So it's got water in it. Listen, last night, water didn't even burn you. Just take the risk." Gaz said as she grabbed a cookie and popped it into her mouth. Zim stared at the murky brown liquid and gulped. He took a deep breath and brought the cup to his lips…
It didn't burn.
Zim let the hot liquid pour down his throat. He swallowed and then waited for some sort of reaction.
Gaz smiled as Zim's expression turned from fear to relief. She took another sip from her cup and looked at him.
"Wanna cookie?"
And that was the start of a true, beautiful friendship with one of the longest conversations that Zim and Gaz had ever had in their life.
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Zim walked Gaz home, laughing and talking about their time. Gaz was happily cracking crude, sick, and morbid jokes (something she normally would never do), and Zim was making some wise cracks of his own (something he would also never do).
"Anyway, wanna hear another one?" Gaz asked, struggling to keep herself from laughing so much.
"Okay, so there's this English class, and the teacher says there is gonna be this exam the next day, and he's gonna take no excuses except if you were sick right?"
"Yeah, and?" Said Zim, wondering what the outcome was.
"So one smart-aleck student asks, 'What if you suffer from sever sexual exhaustion?' and the whole class starts cracking up" Stated Gaz, trying to keep a straight face.
"And?" Exclaimed Zim, wanting to know.
"The teacher glares at the student and says 'No excuses. You can use you other hand to write.'."
Zim just stared at Gaz.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" They both started to laugh in unison, earning a few threats from sleepy neighbors about calling the police.
"Anyway, we're here…" Said Gaz, calming down. Her house stood tall and peaceful, but the shadows made it strangely foreboding. She felt Zim put his arm around her shoulder, and he smiled at her.
What the Hell is he doing? This is so weird…I've never been this close to a guy before…Gaz wondered as she smiled back.
What the Hell am I doing? She's the Dib-human's sister…but…Zim returned her smile (once again).
Gaz suddenly pulled away and ran to her door. She had a slightly worried expression on her face, and a shiver suddenly ran down Zim's spine. Gaz had told him earlier that she could always sense when something was wrong, and something definitely didn't seem right.
Both teens clambered inside the house to find it dark. Gaz reached for the light switch but the bulbs were shot. Gaz slowly stepped into the foyer, slightly trembling. Suddenly, a flash of light appeared before Zim's face.
"Here, we can use my PAK's emergency illumination ray." Zim said quietly as the said gadget came into view.
"Don't you mean a flashlight?" Said Gaz with sarcasm biting her voice as she felt her feet drag her up the stairs. A salty smell filled the air, and dark stains littered the carpet.
"Blood…" Whispered Zim. He looked up to see that Gaz was already sprinting down the hall to Dib's room. He sprang after her and they pulled the door open.
The young Goth girl's breath came out in ragged gasps. On the wall, was Dib, but in some sort of horrible twisted crucifixion. The poor boy was in bloody, urinated boxers that clung to his lightly gaunt form. Cuts and bruises littered his body that stretched every time he wheezed; obviously pointing to that he was still alive, but barely.
"Dib! Dib, can you hear me? Dib!" Gaz questioned tearfully as she ran to her brother's aid. Zim could only watch as the poor girl tried to pull at the long, black iron nails that were jammed into Dib's hand and feet. Dib moaned and his dusty golden eyes opened slightly and his voice was raspy with pain.
"Gaz…"
"Dib! Oh God, Zim help me please!" Yelled Gaz as she tried to find a solution of get Dib of the wall. Zim's mind snapped back to reality and activated his PAK. One of his spider legs came out with a large pair of pincers that pulled the nails out with ease. Dib fell to the carpet, still moaning.
"Dib, what happened?" Gaz said, holding her brother's head in her lap. The injured youth closed his tired eyes.
"Dad's dead." And he fell into darkness.
Gaz looked into the corner of the room and screamed. Her father, Professor Membrane, the Lord of all scientific stuff, was sitting in the corner.
Without his head.
Gaz dropped to the floor, sobbing like there was no tomorrow. On the angle of the wall, in Irken cuneiform, was a message in blood:
Tak is back.
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The police force and ambulances came in about twenty minutes. They removed Dib from Gaz's desperate grasp, leaving her behind to put him in intensive care at the local hospital. Gaz was in hysterics the whole time she was questioned at the station and Zim could only stare at the floor.
About half an hour later, Gaz sat on the steps of the police station, her head in her pale, frigid hands. Zim stood right beside her, just looking at her shaking form, stirred something in him: a feeling called sympathy.
"I have no where to go…"
Zim stared at her. She was staring at the sky, blank amber eyes just staring, not even reacting when it started to rain.
She never blinked.
Zim fell to his knees and held her to him. She didn't even react, just sat there. He buried his head into her shoulder, desperately trying to make her yell, hit, or slap him; something.
Her pale lips moved ever so slowly, forming 5, whispery words.
"Can I stay with you?"
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Zim led Gaz inside his house, the emptiness adding to the emptiness Gaz already felt inside.
"We need to get you out of those wet clothes. I'll get you something to wear, but in the meantime, feel free to take a shower in the bathroom." Muttered Zim as he pointed to the next room. Gaz nodded and lightly stepped into the next room.
"What am I supposed to do?" Whispered Zim quietly as he searched his closet for a spare shirt. He hastily chose a plain black shirt with a cross on it, saying in bold letter words: Eternity.
Zim waited outside the door of his very own bathroom, his head swimming in thoughts.
She's so helpless right now. In my whole life on Irk, I've never seen any of my people display such emotions. The ex.-invader thought quietly. He listened to the slight rush of water running, and then it stopped. Zim's mind turned to other, ahem, inappropriate thoughts when a slight splash was heard, and his face flushed green.
He wrenched open the door a crack and threw the shirt on the sink, squeezing his hungry eyes shut. He heard nothing, and then returned to his room, a very unusual uprising in his lower region…
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A few minutes later, Gaz walked out of the bathroom, hair wet and the shirt reaching just above her thighs. She walked into the dark living room, and silently lay on the couch. She pulled the blanket Zim provided for her over her trembling body.
Smells like him too…
Gaz squeezed some tears out of the corners of her eyes. Her mother was gone, her dad was dead, and now, Dib was in the hospital, possibly dying. How many people was she going to lose?
She suddenly sat up, and walked over to Zim's room. The door was open a crack, and Zim was sitting on his bottom bunk, disguise off and staring at the wall. He was wearing a loose black muscle shirt, with a pair of red boxers.
Gaz walked up behind him, and climbed up on his bed. He turned around to the source of the sound, and his crimson eyes widened. Gaz stayed silent as she swayed slightly on the spot, then fell forward onto his shoulder.
"Can I stay with you?"
Zim's face flushed slightly but nodded, while gulping, a silent yes. He pulled the girl to him, feeling her lithe form tense up slightly, then relax as he pulled the cover over them as they lay side by side.
"You're the best friend I ever had." Gaz said quietly as she snuggled into Zim's arms, falling asleep instantly.
Yeah, that's all I'll be. A friend. Zim thought as he closed his eyes.
But what did he want to be?
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A/n I hope you guys are grateful, because between this and school, this is the longest fuckin' chapter I've done! I'm sorry it was so long of a wait though.
Well, you know what to do. Press the little purple button down there, and send questions, comments, suggestions, or even flames. Go ahead, I'M COMMANDING YOU!