"Something you need to understand, Mr. Membrane, and hopefully accept is that the body, the skin you have grown so accustomed to, is now keeping you from your very soul, and your mortality has indefinitely reached its end."

'But has it.. really ended?...' Dib's mind questioned out of nowhere.

Once again jutted from his memories, like being thrown from a bucking horse to the dirt floor, he gasped sharply but soon found his bearings. A smile graced his lips, fond memories still floating about his mind, memories that weren't altogether that pleasant, but familiar. Then, it all disappeared and nothingness engulfed him.

...keeping you from your very soul.

'Could it be that my soul is still trapped in my body? Do I have a chance? Could it be... (Lies, lies, lies...) a dream?' Dib thought strangely.

'Don't delude yourself and think its all a dream.'

Dib's thoughts short-circuited and felt as though he could not speak. His eyes widened in terror of the Unknown. It.

"The time has come for you to realize why you are here." It said, and now instead of bright blinding light shooting from every corner, it was now a dull gray... seeming to darken with every passing moment.

Dib could only grimace. It grinned. Dib automatically shuddered as he saw the manic smile. Then, a surge of violent images passed through his eyes, digging into him, seeming to cut through his mind like a hot knife through butter. 'What does any of this mean?!" Dib thought very confused and abruptly swollen with a deep sadness.

He gasped and soon ... (Splash. Splattered. Screams.) everything turned to darkness.

Swirls of light passed through, and he was thrown once again into...

Dib was smiling, his eyes twinkling in the sun's welcoming rays. Zim saw his smile, grinning himself.

Light.

"I do love you, you know?" Dib said, leaning toward Zim's sensitive antennas, hidden inconspicuously under shoulder-length black hair, hair that now actually complimented his features. He shuddered pleasantly, whispering back, "Yes."

Dib took Zim's hand in his own. "So, where are we going?" Dib asked curiously.

Zim smiled slyly, he had some tricks up his sleeve. "You will see," He said simply, whilst unknown, a beautifully wrapped package sat nicely in his over sized pant pocket. He scoffed dramatically, "Always so impatient, Dib-stink." He scoffed teasingly.

Dib chuckled. "I'm impatient?!" He said adding to the dramatic affect. "You are the master of impatience! Please, just give me a hint... at least?" Zim shook his head and squeezed Dib's hand. They turned a corner.

"There they are, just like I said..." A soft whisper, echoing faintly in the distance.

"Did you hear something?" Said Zim. Dib looked at him oddly. "No, why?"

Splash. Splattered. Screams. Time stood still for that brief moment. Dib's eyes glazed over, then widened in pure horror.

"Stop!! Oh GOD PLEASE STOP!!" Dib screamed as he saw Zim fly across the pavement, skidding. His flesh was matted with fresh blood and dirt, clothes ripped and torn. The unknown mercenaries, though seemingly familiar, were fully clad in soft white, black cloth covering their faces.

Several jumped out of their hiding, contrasting black and white shadows. For a moment, Dib thought he recognized one or two of them. Then, in a heated shock, it hit him. "YOU!! You're ALL part of the Swol...!!" But in vain, the words as well as his breath were knocked out of him as he was kicked straight to his jaw, sliding across the ground, blood hitting him, filling up his mouth. He spit it out, only to get kicked again.

Zim, in a delirious daze, caught a small glimpse of Dib's frail body bruised and bleeding. "Don't you DARE TOUCH HIM!!" Zim yelled as menacingly as he could muster, trying to get his Pak to spread his monstrous spider-like legs, but unwilling, it seemed undone and uncooperative. He collapsed in his own filth. "Damnit..." He cursed.

"Keep it alive... we need the specimen for study..." Faint whispers. They all nodded. Zim's acute hearing picked it up and he scowled. "A fellow agent fraternizing with the enemy... shameful..." Another voice said shallowly. Zim growled.

"Don't, Don't, Don't... PLEASE!" Dib rasped in between kicks and punches and wicked laughter. "Someone HELP US!!" Dib yelled desperately, but no one came. He hated apathy.

Zim looked weakly upon his love, admitting horridly to himself that Dib may be die. And he didn't even get to say...

"I-...I love you DIB!!" Dib heard this and despite himself, and his pride, he sobbed, "Nothing can keep us apart..." He said softly, choking on his words, "N-nothing..." But as soon as the last syllable was uttered, he was knocked out unconscious, blood spilling from oozing cuts, bruises forming on his neck and stomach. A choking sound. Relent. Last breath.

The mercenaries chuckled at this, one of them kicking him, "No one will know, no one will ever know, no one but us." He said with a horrible mocking, familiar words Dib often assured him of. And soon it hit him. They were from Dib's Swollen Eyeball thing! "Dib... Oh God DIIB!" He sobbed uncontrollably, "YOU FUCKIN' MISERA-" He started. But soon...

Darkness...

Mocking laughter, screams.

Swirling into...

Light again.

He was blinded by it. He retched.

Dib saw now. The bastards betrayed him...

But even that didn't hurt nearly as bad.