This is over 2K in word count. I had some trouble figuring out how I wanted this chapter to go, so it was delayed more than I had wanted it to be. However, I got it done! Enjoy!

Zim felt the bullet hit his left shoulder. He fell out of the way of the doorway, tumbling to the side of the Cruiser. The guard shouted at him, something unintelligible that was comprised of victorious hooting. Zim growled. He wanted to harm the human back, but he had promised Dib he wouldn't kill him. Pity.

"Gir!"

Gir shot up, launching himself right into the Cruiser's cargo bay. Zim could hear the guard shooting at the robot and hitting the walls of the Cruiser instead. Gir laughed the whole time, bouncing off the Cruiser walls and, undoubtedly, the guard. The shots stopped, but the screaming and noise increased. Zim pulled himself using his good arm to the edge of the doorway, turning away. A limb from his PAK shot into the cargo bay, knocking anything it touched around until the guard was finally pulled out. Gir was latched into his face. Zim was surprised he was still coherent enough to keep from trying to shoot Gir whilst he was on his head.

He spotted the gun in his hand, knocking it out with the limb. It flew across the room, hitting the wall. Zim threw the rope to Gir. He was quick to tie the guard. He started to bounce on the guard's back next. Zim tried to stand, immediately collapsing.

"RRGH. GIR. Take the human down and throw him into a cell. NOW," Zim ordered, gritting his teeth. Gir squealed, grabbing the human, and flying out the door. He was yelling swears at Zim until they had entered the elevator. Then he started to screaming questions and pleading. Zim didn't care if he was left with Gir for now.

He looked up to the attic's roof. "Computer. Call Dib. Now."

"You should probably be in the med-"

"ZIM SAID NOW!"

"I am, I am," the computer droned. Zim heard half a ring before Dib's voice came over the speakers.

"Zim? Did you get him back to your base ok?"

"No," Zim answered, grunting as he used his limbs to lift himself up. He kept pressure to his wound, feeling with his good arm (as much pain as it caused) and found no exit. Damn that stupid human.

"What do you mean? What happened, are you ok?"

Zim didn't answer immediately, using his PAK to carry himself to the elevator.

"Zim?! Hey, are you still conscious? What happened?"

"I was wrong. Just get here," Zim says. He had made it to the kitchen when he blacked out.

Dib was sprinting up Zim's walkway when he reached the house. The door didn't waver when he got to the porch and he slammed into it. He fell to the sidewalk, scrambling back up almost immediately.

"Let me in, it's Dib!"

The door clicked and Dib threw it open. At first glance, nothing was out of the usual except for the deafening silence. Dib cautiously walked further into the house, closing the door behind him. The silence was unsettling, like walking in a horror movie.

He took only a few short steps into the living room before freezing. His stomach plummeted when he saw the trail on the floor. The liquid was clearish-pink, trailed along the floor from the door to the attic until it hit the elevator in the living room. Dib had to take a step back and think. This didn't mean he was… he was likely fine. Dib walked closer to the liquid on the floor. He looked around it, for a sign of anything else.

The floor and part of the lower half of the wall was singed in a haphazard pathway. Gir's doing, no doubt. The singe marks pulled Dib's gaze to the floor around the liquid. There were small ticks in the tile. Dib moved around the pink substance into the kitchen. It wasn't a trail until about a third of the way from the attic's door. Dib looked up to the stairs, where drops of the substance was on every other step. He looked at the steps. No marks. Dib looked intently at the tiles. The marks hadn't started until the trail began. He followed it back to the living room.

"U-um. Computer?"

"What?"

Dib had to ignore the fact the computer seemed more irritated than usual. He would worry about that- wait. "Where is Zim? He called me, is he-"

"In the medic-bay," the computer barked.

The small side table slid over, offering the elevator open to him. Dib ran to the platform. It fell into the main body of the base at a much faster rate than Dib had experienced before. He had to ignore the pool of the substance at his feet. When the elevator finally began to slow Dib rushed off into the hall. The trail continued, but it had less volume the farther into the base it went. Dib followed it through several turns until he hit a door it turned into. The light above it was slowly fading on and off in a deep red.

He could hear machinery running inside, but nothing else. He had to steel himself before grabbing the frame of the door and pulling himself inside. It was the only thing he could think of to get his feet to move. Once in he saw Gir deactivated in the corner and the trail steadily disappearing the closer it came to the table in the center. The liquid was blood. Dib swayed, hitting the wall. He didn't know how much blood an Irken could lose. He didn't know anything about Irken blood.

Zim was laying on the table, but he wasn't moving. Dib wanted to run up to him, but the PAK was…. working. More specifically, Dib noted, the limbs were working.

Dib watched the mechanical limbs that Zim used to lift them into trees perform surgery. The ends opened to reveal instruments they needed and then closed when they had no use. Dib inched his way around the table, keeping to the wall. He was not getting closer. He made it half way around the room when he hit a storage cabinet. He attempted to move around it, immediately regretting his decision.

The leg closest to him froze. Dib froze with it. He had a second to make a decision and chose to run. He was inches from the leg when it shot out at where he once stood, piercing straight through the metal cabinet door. Dib lunged for Gir, holding the robot up in front of him. It was his only option, hoping the robot also had some defense system when it was shut down.

The leg shot at him again, but froze when it was in front of Gir's face. Dib tried not to breath. He watched the limb intently. It moved to the left and Dib moved Gir with it. Each movement Dib countered until it appeared to lose interest and return to its work.

Dib let out a deep sigh, dropping Gir in his lap. He heard a 'tink' from the operating table.

"C-computer?"

"What now."

"What are they doing?"

The computer sighed heavily. "I don't have time to answer this," it says. Dib ground his teeth, looking away from the table. After a moment, the computer relented. "Operating. Obviously."

"What happened?"

"The prey had a weapon. My database informs me it was a 'gun'. A projectile hit him. They're operating to get it out. As I said."

"You didn't explain it, you bucket of cynicism!" Dib shouts at it. He holds Gir up again in case the noise alerted the limbs. They ignored him. Dib hesitated, but then decided he could stand.

He held Gir at his chin, slowly moving closer. The limbs were stitching up Zim's shoulder. The bullet was in a tin on the table beside the alien. Now that he was closer, he could see the pile of drenched paper towels in a bin to his right. Zim still wasn't moving, but he looked like he was breathing.

Dib waited until the legs were drawn back into the PAK to attempt getting closer. He had waited almost three minutes before cautiously setting Gir down. "Zim?"

No answer.

"Zim?" Dib asked again. When the Irken still didn't respond Dib looked up at the wire ceiling. "Is he going to be ok? Is he just sedated?"

The computer was silent. "… he may be alright. His injures were severe enough to render the PAK to employ its own medical care. This includes synthesizing any medication and reverting him to an unconscious state. Until the pain medication wears off."

"How long will he be asleep?" Dib asks. He slumps down beside Gir, pulling his knees up. "Can I help?"

"I don't know how long, and probably no. Just wait. And stop asking me questions."

Dib pursed his lips. "Don't have to be so mean because you cared," he mumbles. The computer doesn't respond, but Dib was sure it had heard. He took it as a victory. Dib sighed, settling down to wait.

Dib kept track of the time while he waited. His pone battery slowly started to die on him after four hours. He'd almost passed out more than once. He was about to do so again when movement on the table jerked him awake. He heard a hoarse voice swear and scrambled to his legs.

"Zim?!"

"Not so loud, Dib," Zim groaned, sitting himself up. Dib went to hug him and stopped short. Zim had leaned away, positioning his shoulder farther way. "Perhaps not a good idea."

"Right, right, sorry. Does it hurt?" Dib asks. Zim blinked at him. "Sorry. Right."

Zim sighed, slipping off the table. He wobbled and Dib grabbed his good arm, steadying him. Zim groaned again. "Zim needs a better place to heal."

"Do you have a bed?" Dib asks. Zim shakes his head.

"Irkens usually do not require sleep," Zim explains. Dib looked at his pale complexion worriedly.

"Why were you asleep? Your PAK's self-defense almost killed me," Dib says. Zim paused, testing himself before taking his first few steps. Dib hovered beside him, ready to catch him if he fell.

"That's what PAKs are meant to do."

"Did it… carry you down here?"

"You sound distressed about that," Zim observes. Dib kept at his side until they hit the elevator.

"It's creepy," Dib says. "But, I will admit it's impressive. It operating on you was… more horrifying."

Zim scoffs. "And you wanted to dissect aliens at one point. Still feel so compelled?"

"Don't tease me about that," Dib spits at him. He stands in the elevator, watching Zim lean against the side. "Are you going to be ok?"

"Zim just needs rest."

The elevator lifts them to the living room. Dib watches blinds block out the windows as Zim goes to the couch. He lays on it, hardly caring how. Dib awkwardly steps around the blood. He's half way to the couch when it hit him.

"The guard!"

Zim furrows his brow, his antennae bending back. "What about that filthy human?"

"Zim, he's still got the venom. Where is he?" Dib asks. Zim takes a moment to respond.

"Mmm… Ah. The holding cells. The cure should already be synthesized in the room to the right of it. Just needs an injection to the human…" he mumbles. Dib waited, hearing nothing else. He walks over, only to see Zim had already fallen asleep again. Dib groans, moving back to the elevator.

"Computer? Take me down to the holding cells, please. PRONTO."

The elevator moved quickly down, stopping short of the medical bay. He started forward, looking into each room until he started to hear faint banging. He followed the sounds until he hit a room with a row of glass walls. Dib recalled Zim's instructions and darted into the neighboring room. A vial sat on a strange machine. He plucked it off, seeing a needle on its end.

He raced back out into the hall and into the cell block. Dib followed the sound down the hall, refusing to look in any of the cells until he heard it right next to him. He saw the guard, laying in his cell. He was pale, his skin sagging, and knocking his knuckles against the glass over one of the breathing holes. Dib crept up to the glass. He positioned the needle to the hole, waiting for the guard to draw his hand back. Once he had, Dib pushed the needle through. The guards hand hit it squarely. The liquid inside emptied.

Dib pulled it way as soon as it was clear, hearing nothing but a pitiful grunt from the guard. He waited, hiding along the wall. The guard didn't have the energy to speak, remaining silent. Dib's only clue he was alive was his shallow breathing. He sighed, moving away from the cells slowly until he hit the main hallway. He carried the vial back to the living room, setting it on the side table.

"Computer? Can you make sure the guard gets clean water and human food when he wakes up?"

"…Sure."

Dib sat down on the other side of the couch, looking over at Zim.

"Computer?"

"What?"

"Can I stay over tonight?" Dib asks. The house was silent until Dib heard the AI voice sigh.

"I'm not stopping you."