Chapter 5 Silently Fighting

In Zim's Home Base

"What's that?"

"What?"

"That. Out there."

"Let me see… Oh! That's snow!"

"Snow?"

"Yeah… It comes around every once in awhile… We can't touch it. It burns us, unlike the stupid humans. They frolic around in that frozen terror like it was a field of smelly EARTH flowers!! It sickens me!!"

"But… Don't we have to go to skool? How do we go outside?"

"Wait here." Zim dashed off to another part of the house leaving Vick staring out the window, wondering how horrible white fluff could really be.

She opened the front door stealthily and touched it. "Ahhhhhh!!!!" She fell backwards into the house and kicked the door shut. "It burns!!!!" She sobbed.

"Did you touch it!?" Shouted the voice of Zim from the kitchen. "I told you it burned! Why would you do that to yourself!?"

"I wanted to see for myself…" She said innocently. The incident reminded her of a common human saying she had heard once in her first month of being on earth. 'Curiosity killed the cat.' Vick didn't know exactly what a cat was, but she hoped that its death wasn't as painful as what she was experiencing.

Zim soon returned dressed ridiculously. His snow garb included multiple layers of coats, gigantic boots, a painful amount of hats, a fabric ski mask, and plenty of mittens. He looked very much like an over stuffed animal. His winter style was so ridiculous that Vick burst out laughing.

"You DARE laugh at ZIIIM!!!" Zim cried melodramatically, pointing an accusing finger at his giggling minion.

Holding her stomach, which was in pain from laughing so much, Vick nodded her head; an action that she knew Zim wouldn't react well towards. She sat on the ground and wiped the tears from her eyes.

Zim gave her a mean look, and she quickly collected herself. "What are YOU going to wear to protect yourself from the snow, hmm?" he said with content. He attempted to fold his arms across his chest and tap his foot, but his horrid amount of layers and giganitcal boots prevented that from being possible.

Vick jumped up, and pressed the button on her belt causing her human disguise to envelope her. She grinned and said, "Watch this." She walked to the door, opened it, and stuck her finger into the snow. "See?" She said contently. "No burning."

"Mommy!!!!" Chic came dashing out from what seemed like nowhere, and slammed into Vick giving her a hug of death. She lost balance and fell face first into the white fluff that was snow.

"Arrhhhh!!!" Vick snapped back and dashed into the house. She didn't stop running until she had crashed into and knocked Zim over. "It's COLD!!!" She cried childishly. She wiped the snow stuffs off her face and hugged her knees to her chest. "No more cold! No more cold!!" She repeated to herself.

Zim threw a coat, a hat, a pair of mittens ad a pair of boots at her. "Stop complaining and get dressed." He said before he exited the house leaving Vick to dress herself in the snow garments that didn't match.

Before Skool

Vick rushed onto the Skool grounds, almost being late, only to find that her watch had been messed up and that she was 10 minuets early. She saw many of the earth children playing in the snow. One thing about the skool ground that morning really stuck out, however. It was Zim. Maybe it was his ridiculous get-up. Maybe his general bad reputation for being weird did it. Maybe it was his hatred of the other students. Or a combination of the three. Regardless of what provoked them, the dirt children had tied Zim to the flagpole, and had engaged in a rousing game of tether ball.

"Zim!" Vick rushed over to him, and shooed the other kids away. She wound the rope from the pole and lowered her master to the ground. "Zim! Are you okay?" She asked, sincerely worried that he might have been hurt.

"I'm fine…" Zim said sadly. "But I think I hurt my pride…"

Vick hugged him, although it was difficult to wrap her arms around Zim who was wrapped in all those coats, and smiled. "I'm glad you're not hurt!" She escorted him to the main office of the skool. "Wait here." She said before quickly running off into the Guidance Councilor's room.

"What is she…" Zim sat down, leaving his own question hanging. He began to remove the many coats, hats, and mittens. After successfully taking off two coats, he felt a presence in the room.

"Zim."

"Go away, Dib. I'm not in the mood to kill your mood." Zim said in an annoyed tone. He fidgeted with the zipper on his third and final coat.

Dib sat across from him. "What do you want with Vick?" He asked bluntly, obviously not in the mood to beat around the bush for a half an hour.

"Hmm?" Zim looked up. "What do I want with Vick?" He copied. He laughed evilly. "The REAL question is, what do YOU want with Vick?!"

"She's my friend!" Dib replied quickly. Maybe too quickly for Zim's taste. "And I asked you first!"

Zim finally took off the last coat. "Vick is my …friend… as well. She's my little helper, that's all," he said a bit sadistically. Creepy…

Dib caught the hint of insanity and evil, and immediately felt very uncomfortable. "Uh…" He glanced around and was relieved to find that an adequate amount of adults were nearby. "What do you mean?"

Zim smiled evilly and stayed silent, figuring that in doing so, Dib would go mad trying to figure out what he meant, and possibly even doubt Vick's friendship. Why would I want that? With Vick close to Dib, my mission isn't in as much danger as it used to be… Why do I hate this plan so much!? Zim silently fought with himself, showing no outward emotion.