Answers

The black-coated men haunted him. Like a pack of hungry wolves, their teeth gleamed menacingly against the gaping darkness. Their mouths watered eagerly, waiting to devour their prey. They peered down in a wicked fashion, standing in an expectant circle. He knew what they had in store for him. They had been planning it for months, but now the reality of the situation was finally sinking in.

Zim grimaced as the members of the Swollen eyeball surrounded him. One by one they approached, and he whimpered as a needle was jammed into his arm. Inside of the syringe was a pink liquid. It swirled about, it's radiant contents catching the fluorescent light as it teased his impending doom. Zim knew he couldn't run. He had nowhere to go. They had cornered him and pinned him down with secure snares to ensure that he could not escape.

The frightened Irken tried to pull away, but he no longer had the energy nor the will to fight back. They had done their share of tormenting, and only the thing left from his rebellious efforts was a seriously horse throat and bruised skin from all of the beatings.

Zim winced as the burning sensation finally took over. It felt like venom spreading through his tissues. He pulled against his bindings in an effort to bear it, but it didn't last long. Eventually his whole body started to feel numb. He felt his limbs slowly loosing control and his balance shifting. It wasn't long before his senses became disoriented, and the men found it safe enough to remove his restraints.

He stumbled over his own feet as he tried to stand. In an effort to escape, he landed face-first onto the cold, unforgiving table. The faces around him chuckled as they watched. They started to move in, inching closer and causing his alien heart to beat so rapidly he thought his own organs would explode. He struggled to push himself back up, but his muscles could not move. Whatever they had done to him, he was now at their mercy, and he couldn't do anything but watch helplessly as they closed in with glistening scalpels.


Bolting upright, Zim awoke from his nightmare. He felt his scream dissipate from his throat.

A dream? Was it a dream?

He sat up. In a cold sweat, he tried to shake off the remnants of the nightmare. He jerked his head about, expecting to see the men from the Eyeball still standing around him, but to his relief, they were nowhere to be found.

"I...I don't understand," he muttered, looking at his hands confused. "The procedure. The labs. I was-"

Whipping his head about, he tried to make sense of his surroundings. He noticed he seemed to be in some sort of human basement, one that looked eerily similar to where had been before. The equipment was far more advanced than the average Earth house, and the walls were painted a strange putrid green color, something he could have sworn he had seen before.

Ignoring the details, he looked down to examine the brutal aftermath of the autopsy. He felt around his abdomen, terrified of what he might find. He expected it to be hashed up into several pieces, but to his relief, it seemed whole and nothing appearing to be missing.

He felt the top of his head and was relieved to discover that both his antennae were still firmly intact. When he looked down at his freshly pressed uniform, he felt the sense of confusion return.

Strange, he thought, massaging the laundered fabric. I could have sworn they experimented on me.

He moved his hands about the area, searching for any abnormalities and crevasses that indicated they had experimented on him. He ran his hands along his arms, neck, chest and torso, examining every inch of his body.

Then, he noticed it.

Stretching out his collar, he looked down to find the horrid, jagged trail of stitches leading from the base of his neck all the way down to his stomach. They zig-zagged in a gruesome pattern, standing out noticeably against the sharp contrast of his skin.

He trembled at the sight.

"W-what...what is this?" he stuttered, terrified. "WHO is responsible for this?!"

A series of footsteps were heard behind him and he wheeled around just in time to see the professor descending down the stairs.

"I am, I'm afraid," the man replied, greeting him in his usual friendly manner. He approached the alien cautiously carrying two steaming mugs. "I hope removing you from the lab didn't cause you too much trouble. You were in critical condition when we pulled you from the autopsy."

Zim felt his lips curl into an aggressive snarl. "YOU!" He backed away into the farthest corner possible, attempting to put as much distance between him and the human as possible. "YOU were in charge of those men. You commanded them to experiment on me!"

Membrane bowed his head in shame. "I do apologize for the way those so-called scientists treated you, but I can assure you no more harm will come to you here."

He pulled out a rolling chair and proceeded to take a seat. After getting comfortable, he brought the mug to his chest level.

"So then? Zim was it?" he asked.

The Irken tilted his head in confusion. "Eh?"

"Your name. Or at least that's what my son calls you."

The professor held out one of the warm cups of tea he was carrying and placed in front of the Irken. "I have many questions to ask you, but I assumed you'd be willing to answer them under much more civilized terms."

Zim glared at the man incredulously. "Why should I discuss anything further with YOU human?" he spat, wanting nothing to do with him. "I could spare us both the trouble and rip out your entrails now."

Membrane ignored the threat and continued sipping his tea. "I believe there is still so much we can learn from each other if you give us the chance," he said, bringing his cup a bit closer to his chest. "For example, I was curious why you came to Earth. Surely it must have been quite the journey from your home planet."

Zim glared at the man in contempt. Don't fall for his tricks. Don't succumb to his lies. Remember your training.

"Save your breath horrid stink beast! I REFUSE to answer any more of your questions until you, or your DISPICABLE dirt child have released me from this unbearable prison!"

Unfazed, Membrane took another sip of tea. "It seems odd that such an advanced creature such as yourself would choose our humble little planet for destruction. Surely there must be somewhere else in the galaxy with far more to offer?"

The Irken narrowed his eyes in contempt. "I will not be toyed with any longer human! Release me now or I WILL destroy YOU and EVERYTHING I can get my hands on. Including that wretched Dib creature of yours!"

"You know," the professor interrupted, taking another sip of tea, "it was my son who pulled you from the autopsy."

The Irken stiffened.

The Dib? The Dib?!

He felt his claws tighten angrily into fists. "That horrible little filth-weasel is the one RESPONSIBLE for this mess! He will pay for what he has done! Oh how he will pay." He turned around to face the professor. "Now tell me, Earth beast. Where is he? I will grind his skin into PORK DUST for what he has done. No one hurts Zim and gets away with it. NO ONE!"

Professor Membrane leaned back against his chair calmly. "Oh I'm sure he's out chasing vampires or other whimsical nonsense at this hour," he said, taking in another sip of tea. "He should return later, but in the meantime, why don't you and I get to know each other better?"

Zim felt his eye twitch at the offer. Surely this human must be joking. He must know that I, ZIM, have no intention of helping him or ANYONE else for that matter.

"Fine then," Zim said, his voice menacingly low. "We shall do this the hard way."

He tried to summon his metal spider legs to attack, but his PAK didn't respond. He turned around confused.

"Just a precaution," said the professor coyly, lifting his tea cup. It was clear he knew he was never in any danger.

Zim eyed the man angrily. "REMOVE THIS DEVICE IMMEDIATELY HUMAN!" he shouted, frustrated with the constant restraints. "OR CHOOSE TO SUFFER THE WRATH OF ZIM!"

Membrane waved a finger in front of him and shook his head. "I'm sorry, but I cannot do that," he said calmly.

"And why not?!"

"We must have a civilized conversation first. Particularly about your intentions."

"My intensions?" Zim questioned, confused.

The professor nodded coolly. "That is correct. I must know if you truly plan to destroy all life on Earth or if you have given up the task. My son seems to think the latter."

Zim frowned angrily and slumped forward like an upset child. He stared at the cup in front of him, the steam evaporating from the placated liquid as it bristled the edge of his skin.

He let out a heavy sigh.

"Fine," he muttered, wrapping his claws around the warm ceramic mug before taking a seat. "What is it you wish to know?"

The professor leaned back in his chair. "Just take it from the top. Or...wherever the beginning is for you."

Zim paused and tightened his grip on the ceramic. Did he really wish to do this? Was he going to risk confessing his life to some nosy human who would probably use the information for his own selfish gain? The Dib human had done so once before, and this was the boy's father. It would make sense that he had every intention to betray him.

Zim stared at the steam as it rose from the cup before meeting the professor's gaze.

But perhaps it wouldn't hurt to open up for once. There were quite a few things he was willing to get off his chest, and unlike the little wretched worm-weasel that had foiled all of his well-thought-out plans, this human had proved himself trustworthy. The man had been the only one to question him without the promise of pain, and the only one to stand up for him when the Eyeball's methods had been too harsh. He was a symbol of authority, but a noble one who didn't seem to abuse his power and held a deep understanding of all living things. He felt like he could trust him, and that was enough to help him make up his mind.

He let his gaze fall to his hands and let out a heavy sigh.

He didn't have much of a choice.

"I was Irk's finest invader..." he started sadly.


Meanwhile

Dib sat irately in the school cafeteria. He watched as his fellow classmates went about their day, chatting mindlessly as if everything was completely normal. They seemed blissfully unaware of the complications that had been suddenly thrust back into his life, and completely uninterested in anything that explained how a captured alien had mysteriously gotten away.

He grit his teeth as he watched them in agony.

It was just like before, back when they didn't care who he was or knew about Zim's true identity. They were all so obsessed in their own lives, engrossed with the latest pop song or whatever teen fad had swept the nation that year. No one seemed to remember, or care, about their weirdo of a school mate who was harboring an alien fugitive in his basement. It made little difference to them what impact it would have on their lives.

Dib grumbled and flumped his elbows onto the table. He rested his head on his hands. "I don't get it Gaz. I just don't get it. How can they all act like nothing's happened? It's like they all just forgot about him. Like he never even existed."

"Maybe they just don't care," Gaz replied, already annoyed by her brother's incessant sulking. She was busy playing her game slave and preferred to have quiet while she tried beating the final level.

"But this was supposed to fix everything!" Dib wined, ignoring her warning. "It was supposed to be the biggest moment of my life! Not fizzle out like some dull, boring news story."

Gaz sighed and begrudgingly smashed the pause button on her game. "Dib, don't you think this has gone on long enough?," she asked turning toward her brother.

Dib stared at her confused. "What do you mean?"

"I mean..." answered Gaz, opening her eyes for once for emphasis, "you've won Dib. Look around. Zim is captured and the world finally knows aliens are real. Can't you just be happy with that?"

Dib scowled. "I guess I can't."

Grumbling, Gaz ignored him and went back to her gameslave.

"Fine, then just fix it on your own," she said, focused on her screen. "I'm only minutes away from achieving a perfect score and don't need you screwing it up again."

Dib rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to the students. He stared at them a long while before miserably slumping down onto the table.

Maybe she's right..., he thought, deciding if he should give up on the matter. Maybe I AM expecting too much from them.

Staring down at his lunch tray, he realized he hadn't even touched his food. The thought brought a memory back about Zim. Back before everything became so...complicated.

'You know if someone watched you obesseively every day, they would know you never actually EAT any of the food. Why is that Zim? Don't like the taste? Or is it something more?"

Lifting a heavy hand to his chin, he stuck a fork full of peas begrudgingly in his mouth. He was just about to dive in for another spoonful when a slender figure approached in front of him.

"Hey, um...is anyone sitting here?"

The voice was timid, and Dib tilted his head up to find a beautiful girl standing in front of him. His jaw dropped in surprise. She was tall, blonde, and had a dazzling bright smile that seemed to light up the room.

He looked around the cafeteria, utterly convinced someone was trying to play a trick on him. It wouldn't be the first time one his peers had pranked him, and now that things were roughly back to normal, this would be the perfect opportunity to do so. Despite his successes, he was still the weird kid who sat in the corner, and they had never failed to pick on him before. Why should now be any different?

He stood there quietly, desperately struggling to come with something clever, but the girl shifted uncomfortably and began to turn away.

"Sorry. I can go somewhere else if it's too much troubl-"

"No, wait!"

Dib held a hand up to stop her.

"Please, go ahead."

He motioned for her to take a seat. Smiling, the girl did so.

"Thanks," she said, setting her tray down. "Everywhere else was full."

She glanced up at him, her face suddenly twisting into recollection. "Hey, wait a minute. You're Dib aren't you?" she asked curiously.

Dib looked up at her. "Yeah...? So...?"

Her face lit up in excitement. ""Yeah, that's right! You're Professor Membrane's son!"

Great. He rolled his eyes. Just another fan girl obsessed with dad's work. Just what I need.

"Yeah that's me," he said sourly before dropping the subject with a disappointing sigh. Just plain old Dib...

He dropped his gaze to his food and went back to fiddling with his mound of peas.

The girl's face lit up even more. "Wow! It's so nice to meet you! I heard all about what you did at your dad's lab. It must have been difficult to stand up to so many people like that."

Dib stared up at her in disbelief. "Huh?" he asked, confused.

The girl let out a slight blush. "Sorry, I just thought it was really great what you did, setting the alien free and all. I mean, he may be an extraterrestrial, but he's still a living thing right?"

Setting down his fork, Dib stared at her like she had just grown a third eye. Now he was convinced someone was playing a joke. He looked around to see if anyone else was watching or at least looking his way.

The girl recatured his attention.

"Sorry," she said, holding a hand out to meet him. "I probably shouldn't have jumped into such a sensitive topic so soon. My name's Clara. I'm the new student here."

Getting a weird sense of Deja vu, Dib scanned her up and down.

"You're not an alien are you?" he asked suddenly.

Next to him, Gaz nearly choked on her rice, but Clara simply laughed.

"What on Earth would give you that idea?" she asked.

Feeling embarrassed, Dib cast his eyes from the table. "Well, it's just that-"

He rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

"There was this girl who showed up in class one day and..."

He paused a moment as she stared at him confused.

"N-never mind."

Great Dib. An actual girl sits down and starts talking with you, and you call her an alien. Real smooth.

Clara simply laughed and withdrew her hand. "Hm. Maybe I should start over. My name's Clara. I'm a new transfer student here from the UK. My parents wanted me to study abroad so I could get away from all the distractions back at home. They seem to think I'm going through some sort of phase or something."

"A phase?" Dib repeated, somewhat stupidly.

"Yeah." She bowed her head. "They think I'm a lost cause or something. Lately there has been a lot of talk around Lake Lock Ness up north, so I went up there one weekend to investigate. It didn't turn out quite the way I had planned."

"Lake Loch Ness?" Dib asked, only half listening. "What happened?"

Clara giggled out of embarrassment. "I ended up falling into the lake and nearly freezing to death. Pretty stupid huh?."

Dib nodded and went along with the conversation before bolting upright.

"Wait! Lock Ness? As in the Lock Ness monster?!"

Clara nodded. "Yeah! I went up early in spring to look for it, but when I turned up empty handed, my parents told me it was a complete waste of time. I just couldn't help but go. I wanted to see if the rumors were true and the only way to do that was to see for myself."

She looked down at her hands, this time avoiding eye contact.

"They said I wasn't concentrating enough on school and sent me here to get my mind off my things," she continued. "I guess they didn't realize this was where an alien would be discovered huh?"

Dib could only stare at her bewildered.

"Wait a minute," he said, holding a hand out. "So what you're saying is, you...study the paranormal?"

Clara shrugged. "Well, try to disprove it actually, but yes. I find it all very interesting."

Dib's heart begin to race. Was this for real. Was a girl like this really talking to him?

He tried to remind himself that it could all be a trick, that one of his classmates could be playing a cruel prank on him, or he could be stuck in Zim's stupid alternate life machine again. Either way, he decided to play along.

"So what you're saying is...you're interested in studying aliens?" he asked curiously.

Clara shrugged. "I've always hypothesized that they existed, but never found any real proof. Everyone always made fun of me whenever I brought it up." She began fiddling with the food on her own tray. "They'd point out that I never had any real evidence, or call me crazy or something like that. I had always hoped that I'd find something to prove them wrong, but I guess you beat me to it."

Dib stared at her in awe. No way. This can't be real. It has to be some sort of trick.

He looked her up and down, searching for any signs of flickering or abnormalities that might prove she wasn't real.

But if she is real. And that means... Maybe...

Out if the corner of his eye, he could see his sister judging him harshly.

Make a move stupid! Say something nice to her!

"Uh, listen Clara..." he started, feeling like his throat had suddenly gone parch dry, "if you're not doing anything later, I was planning on scoping out this haunted house on the other side of town. It shouldn't be too dangerous, and if you're interested, then maybe we could-"

"I'd love to.".

Dib felt his heart skip a beat.

Yes? She actually said yes?!

"Really? G-great!" He searched around for something to write on, but felt the panic rise when he realized he didn't have anything.

He began to look around frantically, but stopped when she held out a napkin in front of him.

"Meet me there at eight," she said, handing it to him with a smile. It had her number on it. "But I have to be home by ten. Wouldn't want my dad thinking I got lost looking for bigfoot again."

Dib stared at her dumbfounded as she walked away.

Who IS this girl?

He watched in awe as she took care of her tray and made her way out of the cafeteria before heading back to class.


Later that night

Zim shifted through the cardboard box, separating anything he found useful or intriguing. In a fit or boredom, he'd decided to shuffle through what secrets the human had kept hidden away in his closet. The box itself was an old ratty thing, found at the bottom of a stack heap. The condition suggested it hadn't fared well under the pressure, and that the boy had kept this particular box hidden away for quite some time.

He dug through the artifacts and organized the amalgamation of parcels. Newspaper articles, pictures, and other paper-like objects that the human somehow deemed worthy were scattered around him, and he sorted through everything of interest, setting aside anything useful like the boy's list of resistances to various diseases or a list of things that would cause him to break out in hives.

Suddenly he stopped scrounging and came across an old family photo. It seemed to be a snapshot, one from when the Dib-human was an infant. In the center of the photo was a magenta-haired woman holding on to what could best be described as a young, energetic Dib, and the child was climbing over his mother's shoulder while his younger sister glared irritatingly from his father's arms. The professor himself was in his younger years as well, and was smiling happily as he held on to his family with pride.

Hmm, thought Zim, examining the photo. This must be from when the worm-baby was...an even younger worm-baby.

Deciding it wasn't worth anything of value, he tossed the photo aside and went back to search the rest of the belongings. He only got about halfway through when a dark coated figure stepped in from the hallway.

"What do you think you're doing!" Dib shouted, looking down at the Irken in shock.

Without hesitation, he dove in to collect the items scattered across the floor. Zim grunted and stepped away as the boy began to clean up the mess. He folded his arms in irritation.

"I am a prisoner of war in your horrible household," he announced in annoyance. "What else did you expect me to do all day?"

The human shoved him aside and crawled through the items like a kid who had just spilled a collection of live frogs in the science lab. He piled whatever he could into his arms, snatching up anything within reach. He scrambled to pick up even the smallest of papers, some of which slipped free when his movements were too frantic. Zim watched as one of them fluttered away out of his reach and floated down gently like a leaf carried by the autumn wind.

It landed in front of him, and he bent down to examine it.

WIFE OF BRILLIANT SCIENTIST PASSES FROM CANCER

Cocking his head curiously, the Irken stood up. He tried to make sense of the article, but the only thing listed next to it was a portrait of the same young woman he had seen in the picture.

Interesting, he thought, letting the connection dance curiously in his mind. Why would the human hold on to something like this?

He was about to ask the question openly when Dib snatched it from his claws.

"Hands off the rest of my stuff, got it!" the boy shouted, returning the article and everything else back into the box. "I don't need you messing anything else up in my life today."

The Irken watched in silence as the human went to shove the box back into the closet. He folded his arms with a scowl.

"That female was your mother, was she not?" he asked as if already knowing the answer. "Why do you keep those pictures hidden away if you value them so much?"

Dib shot him a grimacing look. "Careful what you say next space boy," he warned, his tone indicating his intention. "The Eyeball still has their sights on you, and I could call them back at any moment."

Zim scoffed at the remark. "I was only satisfying my own curiosity, stink-beast," he replied crudely, ignoring the threat. "Besides, I will do as I please. It was not MY choice to be held prisoner in this filthy dwelling you call a home!"

"And it was not MY choice to have some ungrateful Irken land on my planet and try to take over the human race!" Dib countered, raising his voice.

Zim folded his arms in distain. "Is that why you're always chasing down these paranormally things?" he asked, his curiosity getting the better of him. "Are you one day hoping to see your mother again?"

Dib froze let felt the hairs stand up on the back of his neck. "I could ask you the same thing about Tak," he retorted, letting the words roll out spitefully.

Zim turned his head away. "That is a different matter entirely filth-beast," he retorted.

Dib raised an eyebrow. "Is it?"

Sensing a challenge, Zim took a step forward.

"You dare question me about my personal inquiries?" he warned, looking Dib in the eye. "You dare challenge Zim?"

"You seem to have no problem asking me about my personal life!" Dib shouted back. "I thought I made it clear my things were off limits."

"You still haven't answered my question!" shouted Zim in return. "You deflect when you should answer! Perhaps there is something you choose to hide, yes?"

"I told you it was none of your business," returned Dib sharply. Growing tired of the conversation, he went over to his computer chair and sat down.

The Irken watched him in silence. "What is your game human?" he asked curiously.

Dib wheeled around. "What game?"

Zim stepped forward. "I mean, why are you acting so strangely around Zim? First you betray me, then you help by removing me from the men in the black coats, and now you are holding me prisoner. What are you planning to accomplish?"

Dib stared at him a moment, unsure how to answer.

"I'm not acting strangely," he countered, deflecting the question.

Zim glared into him. His blood-red eyes pierced as they caught the moonlight.

"You had the perfect opportunity to defeat me once and for all Dib," he questioned harshly. "And now I must know, WHY did you squander such an opportunity?"

Dib only glanced halfway back at his rival. He paused a moment, unsure if he wanted to share the reason.

"I guess I just couldn't go through with it," he answered plainly, averting his eyes.

Zim stared at the boy, curious. "You guess?" he asked. "Or were you, perhaps, too weak to handle it?"

Dib remained silent, already knowing the answer. He knew the Irken was right. Being human, he just couldn't handle the realities of the autopsy. And now he couldn't even handle the aftermath of his decisions. It was pathetic. Even by his own standards.

"And what do you plan to do that I am released?" Zim questioned, attempting to get a response from the human. "You can't possibly expect me to stay forever in this filthy dwelling."

Dib clenched his fists in frustration. "I don't know yet. I just-..." He dropped his gaze to the floor. "I know the way the Eyeball treated you was wrong Zim, but I didn't realize they would be so barbaric. All I wanted was to-."

"To kill me for your own amusement?"

Dib fell silent at the Irken's words. He wheeled around just in time to see Zim approach him coldly.

"You wanted me strapped to that table Dib," the Irken said, his eyes piercing through the darkness. "You wanted to see my organs spewed out all over like some horrid, gutted animal. You said it yourself. You were going to show me 'what really happens when Irken's mess with humans'. I believe those were your exact words, yes?"

Dib felt the sweat drip down his neck. "But I... I didn't think they would be so cruel," he admitted, his voice trailing off as the words escaped him. He looked back up at his rival. "If I had known they were going to treat you that way, I would have...I would have lie-"

"You would have what Dib?" said Zim, cutting him off directly. "You knew the consequences of turning me over to the Earth authorities. You knew EXACTLY what they were capable of. And still, you went through with it anyway."

Dib stumbled over his words. "I-...I just-..."

He didn't have an answer. He knew Zim was right. He had done what he had done and knew well what the consequences would be. He had no one else to blame but himself.

Zim took a few more intimidating steps until he saw Dib recoil.

"You are a FOOL to believe it would happen any other way Earth-stink," he continued harshly, jabbing a claw into him. "You are nothing more than a sniveling little dirt child, too naïve to deal with the reality of war. If I hadn't made a deal with your HIDEOUS father, I would have ripped out your entrails tonight as you slept! But unfortunately I need your filthy father's protection to survive. I no longer have a ship thanks to you OR a base to keep me safe. So any escape off this dirt ball of a planet is near impossible without some pig-smelly noticing me or apprehending me or...something. Do you understand human? Answer me!"

Dib kept his mouth shut while the Irken ranted. He still felt all the stirrings of fear and guilt fester deep within his gut. He knew Zim was right. This whole thing had been his fault, and if he had known what the Eyeball was going to do to him, he probably wouldn't have gone through with it. But he had gone through with it. And now it was up to him to figure out a solution before things got too out of hand.

He looked up at his rival, sizing him up and down. He determined if Zim really wanted to kill him, he would have already done so.

"Zim...I- "

He started, but caught himself changing his mind.

"I...want to show you something."

Opening the drawer at his desk, he pulled out a memory drive. It was the same one the Irken had given him earlier in the labs, but this time he held it out in front of him like a sacred treasure.

"While you were being held prisoner, I sort of...snuck into your base and looked at the files," he explained, still not making eye contact. "I scanned through your memory files and saw everything. Everything down to the moment you said your final goodbyes to Tak."

The Irken stared at him coldly, but allowed him to continue.

"I didn't want to believe you when you said you were no longer a threat," Dib added, his voice suddenly catching from the guilt. "I guess I've just been chasing you for so long, I didn't want it to stop. It was something to look forward to at the end of a school day, you know? A sort of...hobby I guess."

Zim's eyes narrowed. "A hobby?" he asked darkly.

Dib tossed the disk drive back Zim. The Irken caught it with cat-like reflexes.

"It wasn't until I scanned the files that I realized you were telling the truth," Dib continued, shifting his gaze to the ground. "That was when I realized that I had made a mistake, and that you were no longer a threat. If it would help, I'd like to do what I can to make it up to you."

Zim studied the device incredulously, squeezing it between his claws. "You expect me to forgive you after all you've done to me human?" he asked, his tone incredulous. "You expect me to let go of all the pain and suffering you caused? Just like THAT?"

Dib bowed his head in shame. "I just want things to go back to normal," he said admittingly. "Or at least what normal was before all this happened. I want to go back to fighting, back to when you tried to take over the world and I tried to stop you. I want it to be fun again. The way it used to be."

Zim rotated the drive in hand, his face twisting in disgust. "You and I were destined to fight until the day we die Dib-worm. Make no mistake about that." He crudely squeezed the drive between his claws and crushed it until its center cracked in half. Then, the loose shrapnel drifted to the ground, littering the floor with a small pile of shards.

"But agreement with your father or not," he continued, his voice heavy with contempt, "I promise you Dib, I WILL be the one to kill you. Even if it takes a lifetime. You have proven yourself a worthy adversary to me, and in return, I will be the one to crush your gargantuan head with my mighty fists of doom."

Dib felt a chill run down his spine, but a strange admiration stirred within him. It was the same feeling one felt before the initial drop on a roller coaster, or the excitement that stirred before a concert.

The Irken was giving him a second chance, and he was not about to waste it.

He extended a hand out, waiting for Zim to meet him halfway.

"Fine. But how do I know you'll keep your word?" he asked, still a little unsure.

Zim sneered and squeezed the hand in agreement.

"It seems I have no other choice, now do I?" he asked coyly.

Dib smirked and tightened his grip. "Alright then, Irken scum. You're on."


Author's Note: I hope you all liked it. I worked extremely hard trying to capture what went on in the character's minds and what they would be feeling during every moment. And I'm sorry that there's no appearance of Tak in here, but you will likely see some of her the next chapter.

Also big shout out to Dib07 for letting me "borrow" Clara from another story. I thought she was a great match for Dib and wanted to include her in this story as well! As always, tell me your thoughts! Till next time!