Curiosity
Zim tugged on the corners of his wig in misery. He tried to concentrate during class, but no matter how much he struggled, he couldn't shake the thoughts of Tak from his mind. The way she had looked at him, the way she had captivated him. He never felt so vulnerable in all his life.
He hated this feeling, whatever it was. It was like internal force was tearing him apart. Something had taken over, and it was coercing him to re-live the scenario over and over in his head.
He groaned and hunched over his desk in agony. He wanted to run back to the base to question her, to find out why she'd done what she did. But he knew it was a fool's errand. She would not be eager to help him, and even if she did, it would come at a steep price.
He dug his claws into the edges of his desk. It was all horrible. He knew he shouldn't care, but he did. He knew he should have left her to die when he had the chance, but hadn't. He squeezed his eyes shut, dismissing the distracting thoughts from his mind. He had hoped that by returning to skool things would have been easier, but he couldn't have been more wrong. Putting more distance between them had only made matters worse. And now, with the aching feeling in his gut, he felt like he was on the verge of insanity.
He flumped down onto the cold hard surface, wallowing in self-pity. He stared up at the clock. The big hand mocked him as it refused to tick by. He slammed his head into the desk. Why must he be doomed to suffer? What had he done wrong?
He remained that way for the rest of the period while his head and his heart pit themselves against one another in a battle for dominance.
Eventually the lunch hour rolled around and as usual, Zim sat across from Dib in the school cafeteria. Unlike the human, who scarfed down his sandwich like a wild animal, the Irken merely poked at his with a fork. It wasn't anything new. He had never eaten any of the food before. And today would reassuringly be no different.
Dib gripped the edges of his sandwich, staring down the Irken like an agitated police officer. He eyed him from across the table.
"Alright, what's going on between you two?!" he shouted, slamming his fist down onto the table.
Zim tilted his head up in confusion. "Eh? What are you talking about Earth-stink?"
The human stood up. "Don't play dumb with me Zim! I saw the way you were looking at Tak the other day. It doesn't take a genius to figure out you're in love with her!"
Zim blinked a few times and stared at his rival. Love? Had the boy gone completely insane?
Other than the literal definition of the term, it had never once crossed his mind. His kind were spawned in test tubes and from birth taught one thing and one thing only: to play their part in the Irken Empire and obey their leaders in the struggle for universal conquest. There was no simply time for such foolishness.
"You saw nothing sniveling little Earth monkey!" Zim shouted back. "Tak merely required assistance and I was the only one around to provide it."
Dib shot him a skeptical look. "Uh huh. Sure Zim. And was that before or after she had you frozen inches from her face?"
"Well, I uh..." He looked away shyly.
Dib noticed the green flush in the Irken cheeks and sneered. "Uh huh. That's what I thought." Sitting back on the bench, the he graciously relaxed his posture. "Look, I'm not saying there's anything WRONG with taking an interest in someone Zim, but with Tak, well... You know she is trying to KILL you right? Haven't you even considered the possibility of it being a trick?"
Zim's expression hardened. "Idiotic fool! Of course I know it's a trick!" He folded his arms in distain. "Unlike YOUR pathetic species, my people aren't so weak to allow AFFECTION to dictate our every move."
"Oh right. And letting anger motivate half of your decisions doesn't count," added Dib.
Zim threw his hands up. "Anger is a useful tool! It allows me to remove obstacles that would otherwise get in my way."
"Oh come on Zim," Dib returned, rolling his eyes. "You can try and deny it all you want, but you definitely have a thing for her. And if my species is so weak, then why do you constantly follow me around at school all day huh? Huh?"
Zim could only glare at the boy while deflecting his answer. "I already told you, insufferable stink beast. I've lost interest in destroying your pathetic little planet for the time being."
"Exactly!" Dib shot up, pointing a finger at him. "You lost interest the moment Tak showed up! Try to fool me all you want Zim, but I know that look you gave her. I know there's something going on between you two."
Zim slammed his fist down onto the table. "YOU KNOW NOTHING YOU INSUFFERABLE STINK BEAST! What could you possibly understand about my people's interactions!?"
"Well...You're Irken. She's Irken. I mean come on. You can't think I'm that stupid."
"OF COURSE YOU'RE STUPID! WHY ELSE WOULD YOU BE ASKING SUCH IDIOTIC QUESTIONS!"
While Zim's nostrils flared, Dib sat back down onto the bench smugly. "You know what Zim, you're right." He leaned back, opening himself up for discussion. "Then explain it to me. What makes your people so special?"
Realizing the human was baiting him into a corner, the Irken turned away aggressively. He frowned with his arms folded. The truth was, he didn't know much about it either. The only interactions he had ever experienced with females were strictly professional or work related. They had been his commanding officers, his classmates, fellow invaders, customers, and most recently, assassins. Never once had he considered a romantic relationship with any of them.
He continued to scowl while the Earth boy waited patiently.
After a short while, a group of kids rushed over to their table unexpectedly. Dib flinched a little as they approached.
"Hey you're Dib right?" asked the chunkiest one of the group. He was a shorter than the both of them and appeared to be in a grade below.
Dib glanced over at the boy carefully. He was wearing an odd combination of a yellow t-shirt, baggy tan cargo shorts, and red sneakers. A typical collaboration of an upcoming jock.
"Yeah, that's me," Dib answered skeptically. He had never once felt comfortable with large groups of people surrounding him. Especially ones that approached for no reason. Usually it ended in painful altercations, or at the very least insults. His hobbies weren't exactly known for being considered popular.
He braced himself for the worst.
To his surprise, the boy simply smiled gleefully. "Oh man! Could I get your autograph?" He shoved marker and photo into Dib's face.
The young Membrane son stared at him incredulously. "Uh, yeah sure. I guess." Feeling slightly out of place, He took the pen and photo and glanced down at the photo. It was a picture of him and his father on the announcement stage a few months back. He tilted his head.
Thinking nothing of it, he signed the photo and handed it back to the child.
The boy shook with anticipation. "Oh man! Thank you so much! My dad is going to love this! He's such a big fan!"
Dib watched as he bounced back to his table, eager to show off his newfound treasure to the rest of his friends. He tilted his head. "Huh, I guess I didn't realize our project was going to be that big a hit."
He turned back around to face the Irken. "Zim?"
He looked around curiously, but the alien was nowhere in sight.
"Zim?"
Hmm, that's odd, he thought, scratching the side of his head. He watched as Gaz took her usual seat next to him.
"Gaz! Have you seen Zim? He was here just a moment ago!"
His sister wrinkled her nose in annoyance. "Last I saw, he was sneaking out the back way."
"Wait, there's a back way?"
Gaz shrugged and began shoveling a spoonful of peas into her mouth. Her brother turned back around to scan the cafeteria.
"He's been acting so weird lately," he added. "Weirder than normal."
"You mean weirder than you?"
Dib shot her a scornful look. "Look, I know what I saw the other day Gaz. He can try and weasel his way out of this one, but I'm going to find out what's really going on. He can't hold on to his secrets forever."
Gaz grunted and began shoveling food into her mouth. "Whatever." She started up her Gameslave and made it a point to ignore him. She never understood why they always had to drag her into these messes.
Back at the base, Zim forcefully slammed the door behind him.
"Who does that sniveling little WORM monkey think he is?" he spat venomously. "ME? In love with TAK? PREPOSTEROUS!"
Taking a few steps inside, he glanced over at his minion. Gir was resting on the sofa and fully absorbed in some sappy, daytime soap opera. Surrounding him was a landfill of garbage mess. Across the floor, dozens of empty yogurt containers lay vacant, along with a collection of buttery popcorn buckets. Empty snack wrappers littered the corners, carrying with them grease speckled prints. And for no apparent reason, a single uneaten fried chicken leg sat untouched in the middle of the room.
Zim's eye twitched in vexation. Deciding it was best to ignore it, he continued on to the elevator. He nearly made it to the base of the platform when a line of dialogue caught his attention.
"I love you Caroline. Please don't leave."
His antennae perked up. There it was again! That word that the humans seemed to throw it around. What exactly does it mean anyway?
Then it occurred to him that despite his two years on Earth, he'd never actually observed what human affection between two individuals truly looked like. His only experience had been with Tak, and ironically she had turned out to be Irken as well.
Making up his mind, he twisted around and took a seat next to Gir on the garbage-ridden couch.
On screen was a desperate, but good looking human male. He was talking to another well-groomed human female. The man was down on one knee and holding out a tiny bluish-purple box. The box seemed to carry some significance because the female gasped when she saw it. When he opened it up, a shiny metal ring with a diamond on it flashed in the sunlight.
"Oh my god Derrick. Is that really-?"
The man nodded. "Yes Caroline. Please don't go. Stay with me. Here."
The female looked down at the man solemnly and then shook her head. "But Derrick, I have to. This promotion is a big opportunity for me, and I will never see another chance like it."
"But I love you. Please stay."
The woman's eyes teared up and she turned away. "No. I can't."
The man's face fell and he stood up disappointed. The camera slowly began to out and the credits began to roll.
Zim nearly jumped out of his skin when Gir's ear-piercingly loud cry filled the room. "No Caroline! Please don't leave! Come back!"
The little robot had tears streaming down his eyes and was wiping them away with some tissues he magically dispensed from the top of his head.
Ignoring his companion, Zim brought a hand up to his chin. Hmmm. Perhaps observing this simple daytime program will help fill me in on what the Dib human was referring to. Tak will still be recovering in the medical bay for the next few hours. That SHOULD give me some time to at least finish one episode.
Over the next hour and half, Zim soon found himself fully engulfed in the show. From what he could gather, humans seemed to be in touch with their primitive mating rituals. Unlike his own species, they had a natural ability to bond with one another, something that in his kind, was not well understood. Irkens were known to have allies, shipmates, or even friends, but from what he could tell, human interaction was much more intimate than anything else. There seemed to be a hidden force that drew them close to one another, so much so that they would end up spending the rest of their lives together. Or starting a family. It was totally bizarre.
"How could the Dib make such a nonsensical accusation?" Zim boasted, trying to reason with logic. "This is nothing like my situation! Tak only utilizes my base for her own personal gain, and the amount of time we spend together is minuscule compared to these two pathetic fools. What a stupid comparison."
By the time the third episode rolled around, the man who had been left behind travelled to the far-off country where the woman was working. He spent several weeks searching for her. Eventually, he finally managed to track her down.
They met in the middle of a busy street, eyes catching one another and stopping dramatically. Then, they reunited for a long, drawn out kiss.
Zim's head tilted as he observed the two characters. What a strange ritual, he thought, rationalizing it to himself. What is the point of it exactly? To greet one another after a long time apart? Words worked perfectly fine for that. And the humans don't seem to need it for anything else. So why was it so important?
He had vaguely heard of such an act on other worlds before, but it was rare and only seen it in a handful of species. Still, it had to mean something. Why else would these ape creatures so heavily emphasize it in their broadcasted media?
Deciding it was all just too confusing to rationalize, he hopped down from the filth-ridden couch and switched the TV over to the communications network.
Gir did not take it well.
The little robot began shrieking immediately and running around the room like the end of the world was upon them.
"Gir! Enough!" Zim barked, annoyed by his minion's behavior. "And go clean up your mess! You can watch more of the show once this place is picked up."
"But I NEED to know what happens! I need to know or I will explode." The little robot immediately latched onto his master's arm and let the waterworks flow. "Derrick loves her so much! That man just loves her so much!"
Using a hefty amount of strength, Zim managed to shove his minion off of him. "No! You can watch the rest of the show later! Right now I have to make an important call!"
Gir's face lit up. "And then we can eat pie?"
Zim stared at him blankly. After so many years together, he still sometimes failed to understand what went on in the tiny SIR unit's head. "Um, sure Gir. Just get this place cleaned up first."
"BLUUUUUEEEEEberry pie?"
"Yes, yes. Blueberry pie. Now go!"
After Gir ran off satisfied, Zim let out a sigh. "Computer! Connect me with Inquisitous the Observer!"
A series of beeps were heard, but the connection failed to establish.
"Sir, it appears Inquisitous has blocked all communications from Earth. Apparently a curious human kept calling repeatedly."
Zim growled. Curse you Dib. " Then connect me to prisoner 777!"
The computer did as it was told a connection was established with the infamous Vort prison.
A very tired, very depressed Vortian appeared on screen.
"Ugh, what do you want now Zim?" he asked, drawing out a long, exhausted sigh.
The Irken cleared his throat. "It just so happens I have an important task for you 777. I need you to look into the history of Irken reproduction. Not the hatching facilities everyone already knows about, but how it used to be carried out in the past."
There was a long, awkward pause, and the Vortian stared at him blankly. "That's uh...a rather unusual request sir. And quite a personal one at that. Might I ask why you have taken such an interest?"
"Hey, I'm the one asking the questions here!" Zim shouted impatiently. "Now tell me. What do you know?"
The tiny Vortian shifted uncomfortably in his cell. "Well, to be honest, that information is pretty much unknown to everyone in existence by now." He flinched. "Um, have you tried contacting the Inquisitorians? I'm sure one of them has it written down somewhere."
Zim eye twitched again. "I am unable to get through to Inquisitous at the moment," he grumbled. Then, an idea suddenly stuck him. "Wait a minute! YOU can contact them FOR me!"
The Vortian's posture deflated. "Why do you always have to allot me with such trivial tasks?"
Zim shifted his eyes toward the monitor. "YOU WILL find out what they know and you WILL report back to me immediately! Or this time your children really will be erased from existence! Do you understand prisoner?!"
The stubby alien sighed. "Alright, alright. I'll see what I can do. But don't blame me if I can't find anything useful."
Zim grunted. "Just find out as much as you can and report back to me as soon as possible! I'll be in touch."
The transmission ended and no more than a few seconds later, a banging on the door was heard.
"Ugh, what now, Zim groaned, leaving Gir to happily reclaim his precious television.
When he opened the door, he found the Dib human standing angrily in his doorway.
"You ditched me you jerk!" the boy snapped aggressively.
The Irken shrugged in indifference. "So?"
"So? You can't just-" Dib stared at him a moment. Come to think of it, Zim did have a point. While they weren't trying to kill each other, that still didn't make them friends. He fumbled over his words clumsily. "Um, what I meant to say was... What was so important that you had to rush home anyway?"
Before the Irken could formulate an answer, Gir popped up between them. "We've been watching Caroline!" he squealed happily.
Dib stared back at Zim in disbelief. "Seriously? You ditched school to watch some sappy daytime soap drama?"
"It was for research!" Zim shouted, shoving Gir awkwardly behind him.
Dib's eyelids fell to an unconvinced gaze. "Uh huh. Sure Zim. Research on what? Finding out ways to show your girlfriend how much you love her?"
Zim's cheeks went red. "No! And for your information Dib worm, I was using the show as a means to determine what 'love' represents in your species context."
"In my species context?" Dib asked confused. "What? You mean like dating?"
Zim threw his arms up in the air. "What is it with you humans? Why must you have so many words to describe something you claim is so simple? Love? Dating? Kissing? It all confuses Zim!"
Dib could only stare at the bemused Irken while he had a minor meltdown. Seriously? Did he really not know what love was? He stood a moment processing the information. It doesn't make any sense. Zim obviously feels SOMETHING for Tak. If he has the potential to feel attraction, why is he so incapable of understanding it?
"Geez Zim. It's really not that complicated," Dib explained halfheartedly. "Dating is when two people spend time together and see if they like each other, or have anything in common. Love is more like the deep connection they form between them when they get to know each other. Doesn't your species do anything like that?"
"No."
"No?" he cocked his head in confusion. "Then how do you, um...?"
Zim gave him a funny look. "How do I what?"
Dib decided to drop the subject. "N-nevermind. Look, it's obvious you're at least interested in Tak. And if want her to like you, then you're going to have to do something nice for her, or give her a gift. You know, stuff like that."
Zim turned his head away. "Those are nothing more than foolish human tactics," he countered derisively.
Dib frowned. "Well, it's better than what you've got. Which, at the moment, sounds like nothing at all!"
Zim paused briefly. "Well I suppose I COULD ask her to assist me improve the Voot. It has been acting strange lately and her knowledge of ship building has proven to be rather useful." He rubbed the edge of his chin curiously. "Hmmm. You seem to know an awful lot about this topic Dib-stink. Why isn't it that you aren't surrounded by a flock of human females?"
Dib gave him a disgruntled look. "That's not exactly how human dating works Zim," he grumbled, feeling a bit insulted. It was no secret that he wasn't exactly Mr. Popular at school. None of the girls looked twice in his direction since he had taken an interest in the paranormal.
Zim paced back and forth anxiously, still lost in a labyrinth of thought.
The idea of getting Tak a gift intrigued him. But knowing what would happen if she hated it, not so much. It would have to be something useful, something meaningful. Something she couldn't throw back in his face. But what?
"Are you positive these techniques will work?" he asked, reviving the human's interest.
Dib shrugged in irritation. "How should I know Zim? I've never dated a girl before, remember?"
The sarcastic remark seemed to fly right over the Irken's head, because the next thing he knew, Zim was once again lost deeply in thought.
He sighed and looked over his rival with pity. The alien was obviously struggling with the situation, and while he himself may not have had any experience dating, he still knew what it felt like to want to impress someone. For a long time, he wanted nothing more than for his father to accept his hobbies and take his field of study seriously. And despite all the torment his younger sister gave him, he still came running to her aid when she had gotten the curse of the hog demon.
But Zim had no one. Other than Gir, he was the only alien to walk alone on a foreign planet. He had no one to talk to except a young boy adamant on exposing him to the world and a robot who was borderline insane. It would make sense that he would fall for Tak when she showed him the slightest interest. The only problem was, Tak hated him. And she had made that abundantly clear in her attempt to kill him.
But perhaps Zim CAN change her mind, Dib pondered, realizing he might be shooting for the stars. If by some miracle of chance, Zim DID manage to win her over, maybe it could turn out to be a good thing. Maybe they would stop trying to destroy Earth. Or better yet, maybe they would leave and start a new life elsewhere. It was at least worth a shot! Even if it WAS a farfetched scenario.
Hmm. If the two of them got together, the then it would be the perfect distraction for Zim and his evil plans. Tak already mentioned that she has no interest in taking over Earth. And if Zim's focus is entirely on her, then they both might leave Earth for good! It's perfect!
Then he paused, realizing his mistake.
However, if Tak does decide to change her mind, then there would be no stopping her. I might be able to handle one Irken trying to take over the Earth, but two? Zim alone was a handful. If Tak were on his side...
He didn't want to even think of the scenerio.
Clasping his hands together, he straightened out his posture. Right. Well it's at least worth a shot.
"You know what Zim? I might be able to help you out," he added auspiciously.
The Irken scanned him up and down. "And how do you intend to accomplish that human?"
The boy twiddled his thumbs. "Well, I haven't exactly come up with any ideas right now, but if you filled me in on a little more about your species courtship rituals, then I MIGHT be able to help."
Zim stared back at him in silence. Both of them could have sworn they heard a hawk cry out overhead.
"BE GONE WITH YOU HUMAN!" he shouted, throwing his arms up in the air. "You do nothing but waste Zim's valuable time with your...THOUGHT things! Until you have any USEFUL information to tell me, I wish to sort out these meddlesome endeavors on my own!"
He slammed the door shut in front of the boy, leaving him to be stranded alone on the porch.
Dib shouted up at the door. "Fine then! Just don't come crying to me when Tak rips your head off because you were too stupid to listen! Oh and don't forget to meet me at my Dad's lab again tomorrow. He's got something else he wants us to take look at!"
Grumbling, Zim waited for the Membrane child to leave. "Meddlesome dirt child," he murmured, growling under his breath. When he finally heard Dib's footsteps fade away, he lifted his head.
To his relief, Gir's mess was finally gone, but now he had a whole new distraction ahead of him. Thoughts of Tak began to fill his mind again. They invaded his brain like tiny insects crawling their way into the center, and he did his best to fight them off. He squinted his eyes shut, but it wasn't helping. He would have to confront her if he wanted it to end.
He thought about what Dib had said earlier, about the whole thing being a trick. He knew it was stupid to chase after her, but he just couldn't help it. He needed answers. And he was poised to get them before she managed to take over his mind.
I suppose I could ask for her help on the Voot, he thought, raising a claw to his chin. Her background skills were more than sufficient in salvaging and she would surely be able to provide some serious upgrades. But she'd never agree to it, he thought sourly. Not unless...
His antennae perked up.
Unless she got something in return!
Quickly dashing down to the storage bay, he ran over to the place where he kept his medical stash. Placing a palm over the bio-scanner, he quickly popped open the security hatch. Rummaging through the pile, he searched frantically for the appropriate item.
Hmm. Which one did she need? This one? Yes, it will be good for healing. And this will also help with the pain.
After collecting a dozen or so vials, he gathered them into his arms and hurried back toward the elevator.
When he reached the main floor of the medical bay, he was relieved to find Tak still resting peacefully on her recovery bed where he'd left her. She was still breathing steadily, but the expression on her face indicated that her PAK was running through its cycles.
He approached her carefully, making sure to set the armful of supplies down on the countertop. Her eyelids, which were closed, still fluttered from the mild disturbance, and her muscles, though relaxed, still tensed up at the disturbance.
He leaned forward to study her expression, curious of how tolerant she was while unconscious. Her face wore a slight frown and her skin, which looked to be laced with a thin layer of sweat, appeared to be somewhat pale. He looked down at the area where the plasma had struck her. There were dried stains on the cloth.
He winced. They appeared to be soiled through with a thin layer of blood, and the fabric around them was becoming tattered and ratty from being stretched for too long.
He stepped forward a bit, his stomach tingling with unexpected remorse. It felt odd to feel sorry for another Irken, considering countless others had perished before him and he hadn't felt a single ounce of guilt. But something about her suffering made him feel worse. He knew he had harmed her in an effort to defend himself, but the rationalization didn't make him feel any less guilty.
He looked down at her body, wondering if was anything more he could do to help. Then it struck him. The bandages around the wound would need to be changed!
He reached down to remove the cloth, but then realized his situation.
Unlike the time in rain and the storage bay, her life now wasn't in immediate danger. He didn't have permission to remove her bindings, and he knew he probably shouldn't do so until she woke up. Still, it would be easier than dealing with her when she was conscious. She would probably just refuse his help anyway if he offered it.
Deciding it would be best to take care of the problem before she woke up, he very lightly pinched the edges of her lining. He only managed to lift the fabric a few inches before her claws grasped tightly around his neck.
"I thought I made it clear never to touch me again!" she snarled, squeezing him with every last ounce of her strength.
Zim struggled to break free, but her grip on him was surprisingly strong. "Brought...for you," he wheezed, pointing toward the medication.
She tightened her grip further. "What?" she asked.
"Brought... medicines... for you."
She glanced over at the collection of bottles resting on the counter. She him abruptly. He collapsed to the floor, coughing violently in an effort to catch his breath.
"What kind of fool do you take me for?" she asked, picking one of the bottles up to examine it.
Zim cleared his throat. "What do you mean?" he asked.
"These have obviously been tampered with." She shot him a glowering expression. "Only an imbecile would be stupid enough to use them."
She chucked the small bottle at him, causing it to lightly bounce off his head. He swatted at the air briefly. "I have done nothing to them Tak beast!" he shouted in defense. "They are a gift of hospitality and I, ZIM, have chosen to surrender them to you."
She chuckled darkly. "You? Hospitable?" She tilted her chin in the air. "And what is it you're after in exchange I wonder? Don't tell me this is your way of begging me not to kill you? If it is, then it's a rather pathetic attempt."
Zim narrowed his eyes at the accusation. "Zim begs for nothing miserable Tak!" he snapped, pausing to tap an index claw against his chin. "Although, I could use some help installing a few upgrades to the Voot. I was rather impressed with your technical skills and wouldn't object to having you assist me while I work."
Tak stared at him in bewilderment. Is he serious? Her blood begin to boil. Does he really think I will help fix his broken pile of rubbish! Does he think I'm that stupid?
Very calmly and very precisely, she set the medicine bottle back down on the counter. "While your offer is unexpected Zim, I NEVER would agree to help you. Not after everything you've done to harm me."
His antennae twitched in disappointment.
"And besides," she continued, looking him straight in the eye. "The Tallest grounded you here to get rid of you. Upgrading your ship would only allow you to escape. And we both now I can't allow that."
Zim, feeling a bit let down by her rejection, scowled at her assertively. "Then maybe some assistance helping you navigate the base will change your mind!" he shouted.
He hurried over to the platform's console where she sat, smirking as he hovered above the controls. Then, before she could react, he pressed a button on the panel.
Tak felt the cushion beneath her tilt vertically, forcing her to slide off to the edge. She slid until she landed on the floor, but with legs too weak to support her weight, she began to wobble. Trying desperately to keep her balance, she stuck her arms out to control her fall. Feeling gravity shift beneath her, she began to topple over in his direction.
Zim, realizing his mistake, quickly leapt in the way to help. He shifted his right leg, readying himself to catch her weight. She barreled into him at full force, striking his chest at moderate speed and latching onto his shoulders to prevent from falling further. He let out a grunt as her claws dug into his skin. Simultaneously, he tightened his grip around her waist and twisted around to slow down her momentum. When all was said and done, they looked like two ice skaters who had just just completed a fancy duet.
Tak felt her pulse beat wildly as she stared into him face to face. Her immediate instinct was to shove him away aggressively accompanied by a swift punch to the face. But her body refused to move. She was far too stunned to muster up any sort of response and too confused to rationalize what just happened. Her eyes just stared at him like like a wide-eyed deer caught on the highway. Her muscles locked up like she had just been struck by lightening. She had absolutely no idea what to do.
Zim, sensing the tension between them, set her down awkwardly. "I.. I um..." he stuttered with an empty response. Then went to clear his throat. "Well I um... I'll get you some bandages."
Her senses finally coming to, Tak shoved him off to the side. "Get your filthy claws off me," she spat, knocking him off balance. Her face was flushed bright red with embarrassment. "I don't need YOUR help! I can take care of myself!"
"You are going to need help changing those bandages soon," he grumbled, casting her a frown. "I was about to replace them for you when you wrapped your claws around my throat!"
Tak stared at him angrily. "And when the time comes, I am more than capable of changing them out myself!" she shouted back abrasively.
Zim twisted around to face her. "I was only trying to offer my assistance Tak beast! It would be far more difficult to accomplish on your own, so I thought I would step in to help!"
"You were the one eyeballing me like one of your disgusting Earth experiments!" she shouted back callously. "I know what you were up to!"
Zim huffed. "Don't be ridiculous. I would never experiment so inappropriately."
"Then fetch the bandages so I can do it myself!"
"YOU DARE command Zim in his own base?!"
"I'll command you however I want if it gets you to release me from this horrible prison!"
"SILENCE!"
Before they could argue any further, Zim stepped forward. He held his hand out in front of her, like some gentlemanly gesture.
"What is this?" she stared at it, confused.
Zim stiffened his posture. "I assure you, there are no tricks. Only the help of ZIM."
Eyeing him skeptically, Tak decided she had no other choice. He wasn't going to leave her alone. And if she didn't give in to his help, he wasn't going to offer her any.
Reaching out to take his hand, she used his counter bodyweight to pull herself up. When she had solid footing, he yanked her forward, swinging her arm around his shoulders unexpecedly.
"W-wait a minute!" she stuttered, confused in a mild panic. "You said no tricks!"
Zim smirked and draped her arm over his shoulder. "It will be easier if we continue to walk this way," he responded confidently. "Now shut your noise hole and help me take you to the repair bay."
Tak did as she was told and took the next few steps forward in silence. She hadn't expected him to be so strong, or so straightforward. She felt her face go red as he pulled her in close. Why is he doing this? she wondered begrudgingly. Doesn't he realize I'm still trying to kill him?
Unable to argue further, she let him guide her slowly out of the medical bay.
Author's Note: I cannot stress enough how much trouble this chapter gave me. I must have rewritten it six or seven times before I felt it was good enough. To get more in depth, I wanted to make it feel believable that Zim and Tak are starting to feel something toward one another, but are so resistant to it that it doesn't really seem to pick up. With Irken society being the way it is, I can only imagine it would be almost taboo for them to give into their emotions. Anyway, I hope you guys liked this one! Till Next time!
