After driving for what seemed like years the bus finally stopped in the middle of nowhere. They all piled off the bus and got their stuff. One kid cheered while another one was bus sick in one of the scraggly bushes.
'All righty then!' Mr Elliot tried to get the kids to listen to him, but there were doing everything but. Most of them were just sitting around chatting and stretching their legs, but Gir was raiding any unattended backpacks for food. 'The camp lodges aren't that far off down this track, we'll get there before nightfall if we're lucky!' It was only 1:30 in the afternoon.
Zim waited until everyone else had started walking before he and Gir began. The Dib-human had raised his eyebrows but had to go unless he wanted to be left behind.
'Now Gir, we come to the uh… nubby part of… you. This is the end of your mission with me.' Zim said to Gir, but Gir's head kept straying off to other things so Zim had to hold his head in place. 'I'll be taking your guidance chip and from then on your new mission will be to "play" with the humans as much as you like. Away from me. Out here. You can do whatever you want out here. But don't EVER come looking for me. You got all that?' Zim knew that simply turning Gir off would be a complete waste because of his talent for destruction. Now Gir could just destroy the right thing out here, instead of Zim's masterful inventions. 'I said, got it?' Zim said irritated as the robot made no sign he'd heard any of that. At the raise of his voice Dib turned around to watch.
'Yes, my Lord!' Gir said his eyes flashing red under his doggy disguise. Zim "smiled" evilly.
'That's a good Gir, now off you go!' Zim said pushing Gir into the bushes. He popped his head up and looked at Zim for a few seconds but Zim kept walking. He waved some what sarcastically at Gir before turning around and walking into Dib.
'Move it, Earth-pig!' Zim said, and emphasised the command by giving Dib a hearty shove. Dib grumbled and glared a bit more at Zim before running to catch up with the group. When Zim looked over his shoulder Gir was nowhere in sight.
Now Dib knew Zim was up to something. Why'd he just chuck Gir into the bush like that? This was the way he usually went about trying to destroy the Earth. Trusting stupid things like Gir to do all the important bits. Well he wouldn't get away with it this time! Actually, maybe he would if the camp wasn't up ahead… Dib was being crushed under the weight of his enormous pack and his legs were starting to feel like noodles. UNCOOKED noodles. They would snap if he wasn't allowed to sit down soon.
Zim of course was perfectly fine as he hadn't brought anything that he didn't carry around already. It was funny watching the Dib-beast struggle and he made a mental note that if (no WHEN!) he captured him he would torture him in some way that would make him suffer through the pure weight of his enormous head.
The sun was starting to set and up ahead Zim heard sighs of relief from the other kids. They must've finally gotten there. He side-stepped Dib and picked up the pace. What his eyes were met with was less than satisfactory.
The camp buildings were dilapidated at best. They were mounted on little posts and the gap underneath was somewhere where you expected rats went to die. The ceilings looked like they had holes in them and the door hinges were crusted with rust and partly falling off. He'd seen better living conditions on planet Dirt…
Dib, and the other stink-pigs, were lying on the ground groaning and twitching. Zim saw this and recognised his obvious superiority.
'Ha! If this is all it takes to weaken you humans then, say, any invading races would easily CRUSH you under their mighty and superior feet!!' He cackled. Dib was too tired to fight back. Mr Elliot surveyed his group. Well, one of them was still standing.
'Okay then class! It's time to assign you your buddies!' He said clapping his hands together. 'You'll all have your names picked out of a hat and that person will be who you'll share a cabin with and have to be with for the entire time we're here so no-one gets lost!' He pulled a hat with razor sharp teeth around the rim out of his bag and tipped a list of the girls' names into it. The teeth mechanically ripped them to shreds. 'Okay girls! Line up and pick a name! When you've picked a name or you're name is picked go and stand with your partner! Okay, Morla you're with Aki. And… Peeyoopi is with Gretchen.' Mr Elliot continued until all the girls were paired off. 'Time for the boys now!'
Zim attempted to rush to the front of the line but was promptly pushed out of the way but some of the others and jostled to the back with Dib. Zim growled and balled his hands up into fists. He would NOT be paired with Dib.
'Zim! You're with Keef!' Mr Elliot called to Zim at the end of the line. Keef had screamed with joy when he'd picked Zim's name out of the hat.
Well, Zim thought, it's got to be better than the alternative…
Dib snickered slightly but abruptly stopped once he heard what was said after. 'And finally, Dib! You're with Willie!' He froze while Zim broke out in raucous laughter. 'Now that you all know you're partners you'll be chained together with these handcuffs!' Mr Elliot said as cheerfully as ever.
Ever since Willie had become Skool President, the toilets got worse and worse until one day Willie broke down as well and had to be taken to a rehabilitation centre due to the horrible things that the Skool Board had done to his mind. Once he'd come back, he was even stupider than before. He was currently waving the arm that was handcuffed to Dib around wildly and slapping other people with it. Of course everyone actually believed Willie when he had "said" it was Dib and not him, and Dib was getting plenty of angry stares. Not that that was much change from the usual, but COME ON! Was everyone here THAT dumb?! Willie couldn't even spell his name right! He spelt it W-H-U-L-L-E. But as usual there was nothing he could do to change anyone's minds.
Zim had concluded that having Keef as his "buddy" wouldn't be so bad after all. Not only was he willing to do ANYTHING Zim told him, he was also incredibly gullible and believed everything he said. But then who wouldn't?
'Okay kids, next step is setting everyone up with a cabin!' Mr Elliot said clapping his hands together. 'There will be two pairs per cabin. Now I'll let you choose who you want to be with! Okay? Innit that great…' Everyone went crazy at the thought of having free will and were running around madly and jumping up and down. Zim stood there with his arm crossed, like an iron bollard, while Keef frantically tugged the handcuffs.
'Wanna be with us? Do YOU want to be in our cabin? What about you guys?' Keef sad asking everyone in sight but they all ignored the creepy hyper kid and the green boy he was partnered with.
After a couple minutes of utter MADNESS Mr Elliot tried to take control. 'Does everyone have a group now?' He looked around. 'Zim, Keef! You guys aren't in a group!' He said as if it was the most depressing thing in the world. 'Oh, but look at that! Dib and Willie don't have one either! You guys can go together!' Zim and Dibs eyes widened.
'Eh, ahh… but you see, I CAN'T go with the Dib-pig because I'm… ALLERGIC, to um, his head!' Zim said lamely. Dib balled up his fits, but he just couldn't go with Zim!
'Yeah, he breaks out in disgusting yellow hives!' Dib cried as well. Mr Elliot wasn't listening though.
'Great! Now everyone go find a cabin and we'll meet back here in an hour to talk about house-keeping matters!' He said.
'This isn't over Dib-beast!' Zim cried shoving his finger at Dib. Keef let himself be dragged along the ground, smiling dumbly.
'Hey! I don't like this anymore than you do!' Dib cried back slapping Zim's hand out of his face.
'Then it's settled, you'll sleep on the balcony.' Zim stated, before marching off towards the closest cabin.
'What?! No I'm not!' Dib said and started trying to follow Zim, but Willie had spotted a butterfly and was trying to catch it and Dib was too small to pull him away. Zim ripped open the door, which came off in his hand, and rammed it back in the frame before smirking at Dib from the glassless window.
'Keef!' Zim commanded after growing tired of the Dib-humans pitiful attempts at escape.
'Yes Zim?' Keef replied eagerly. Zim scowled.
'Don't call me that. From now on you will call me… Master!' Zim said, another ingenious idea forming in his head.