Drops of Light

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Beep.

One falls

He felt drowsy... and in pain. More then anything, he would have just appreciated to go back to the blissful nothing with sleep reclaiming him. He nearly did too. But something came back to the surface of his mind, swirling around with the colours beyond his eyelids.

"He died because he was far from careful."

"Dib?"

Dib opened his eyes, feeling winded for some reason. A little light came from the lamp beside his bed, but it did not get to shine on much. A room of complete white. A man stood above him.

"What are you doing here?" Dib asked the professional paranormal investigator.

"I heard you were shot," said Bill. "You're my partner Dib, I had to check on you."

"Wait a sec," Dib held up a hand there to stop him before he started ranting about their partnernessess, which Dib was certain wasn't even a word, let alone the word partner was low down on the vocabulary that he would ever like to hear. He put a hand up to his head and attempted to sit up.

"Be careful," Bill warned, but Dib ignored him and tried to anyways. He nearly made it, but slid on to his back again with the strain on his back and shoulders.

I run towards you as one would catch another

"What time is it?" Dib groaned.

"Four twenty-two. A.M."

Dib stared at the other strangely. "This is a hospital."

"It is?" Bill asked incredulously, looking around. "That would explain the difficulties I had coming in. And the equipment."

Dib tried to recall what had happened. He had stepped on a weak board and had fallen down to the next level, at least, he thought he did. But before that he was running away from Simmons. His father's murderer.

Another falls

Someone needed to be avenged.

"What happened to you Dib? You look like shit."

Dib glared up at Bill. "Oh really? And I was trying to look so pretty."

"Calm down man," Bill soothed, hands in front of him for peace.

Dib sighed, wincing as he did so. "Sorry," he mumbled. "I just... Bill? Could you do me a favour? A really big favour?"

"Whatever you need little man," Bill replied instantly. Dib attempted to get up again and Bill steadied him.

"Get me out of here," Dib pleaded, breathing harshly with his efforts. Bill stopped, seeming not as sure.

"But Dib-" he began. Dib cut him off with a sharp gesture, the only gesture he could manage at the moment to get him to stop.

"Bill..." he started, "Remember when we were assaulted by that vampire? Before we even started working together?"

"A lackey of the Fang I say," Bill narrowed his eyes, his mind most likely drifted off to thinking about his sworn nemeses. Dib no longer tried to convince Bill otherwise of the chocolate vampire. He was reminded too much of the Countess Verminstrasser when he did.

"Neither of us went to the hospital for that," Dib continued. "You took me to your house. You have the equipment to treat me, even faster then this hospital. Please Bill, I need your help."

Bill shifted uneasily. "It will be hard to get you out of here..."

"No it won't," Dib responded. "The sooner I get out of here... the sooner we can find a zombie I have discovered."

He hated to have to lie to Bill, but that was the only way he knew of that would convince Bill to help him quickly.

"Zombie?" Bill asked suspiciously.

"I... will have to tell you later Bill," Dib continued with his ruse, lying back down. He mentally cursed himself, for it felt rather comfortable and he suddenly just wanted to go back to sleep. Not right now, he reminded himself. "I'm feeling rather..."

"I'll be back in a flash," Bill informed him and was gone, just as unnoticed as how he got in, which was strange considering Dib was asleep then. He forced his eyes to stay open. He couldn't fall asleep now! He couldn't! He had to...

Slowly I realize that maybe I can't finish this race

,,,-----------------------------------------------------------,,,

And there is a different objective to track

Down here? she scowled, wondering why Dib had been down here to begin with. The scientists, she hated to admit, were a lot of help with her questions. They gave her Dib's entire schedule since he had arrived the other day, the schedule of all of the other scientists, and the names of all of the other people (construction workers and others) that were in the building at that time. It gave her a multitude of suspects, which could all be wrong for all she knew. But the best thing to do was go down where Dib had gone and see what he shouldn't have seen.

For once it will be another

To her surprise, there were already three people down there.

"Careful!" one of the scientists supported her arm as she took the last few steps down. "Those boards have not been replaced yet!"

"What are all of you doing down here?" Gaz scowled, pulling her arm away from the scientist.

"Picking up bullet shells for the police," said another. "We suggested that it would be best that we did it, the area down here is so dangerous, there is no way that much evidence could be found."

"Never mind that," the third cut in sharply, "Who are you and what are you doing here?"

"I'm Gaz," Gaz responded with the same tone back to the scientist, "And what I'm doing down here is my own business, so back off."

The drops fall steadily

"Gaz!" the first scientist exclaimed. "How is Dib doing?"

"He's alive," she grumbled, hating to be reminded. She then stopped that train of thought, as the first two scientists seemed very relieved, the first in fact sighing his relief. But the third one's face contorted one second, then he did the same as the first, but Gaz thought it looked forced.

Huh.

"My name is Karst, Gaz," the first scientist introduced himself. "And I will be glad to help you with whatever you need."

"Stantend," the second shrugged, not as enthusiastic as Karst, but seeming just as pleasant. "And this is Simmons, he knew your father well."

"My pleasure to work with him," Simmons seemed to recall, "His loss is felt here truly. You have our condolences for your loss."

"My condolences for your losses."

That voice. She recognized it well.

The pattern unnoticed but never changing

Gaz was surprised how little it took her to put it together, but it was obvious. It was him. Simmons. He had probably planned to do it at the funeral. But why? Why?

He was also close to their father... did that have to do with anything?

"You did it," she looked up at Simmons. "Didn't you?"

All three of the scientists blinked. Simmons barked out some laughter.

"Did what? Shot your brother? Why ever would I do that?"

"We understand your sorrow at such events happening so suddenly, and so close together," Stantend said, "But none of us here would do-"

"Then why is he replacing the shells with different kinds?" Gaz shouted, pointing at the scientist's pocket. "And why would he assume as soon as I said that I was talking about my brother? And why is it that his footprints are of a greater multitude and and spread farther around the room?"

Karst and Stantend stared at her, but as soon as Karst looked at the two different shells in his hands Simmons did not waste a second.

Until someone strikes the branch above

The wood she found in her hands was soft and not the best material, but it was the only thing she had. The splinters stuck fast in her palms but she ignored it as she swung. She might have sat around playing video games a lot, but it did not mean she was slow. Her second swing connected with his shoulder.

"Here me!" he shouted after his exclamation of pain, "I will not rest until I have killed all of you!"

Gaz fell forward then, but was caught around by the waist and pulled away from the weak flooring. Karst held her back, a look of terror on his face in the direction where Simmons had fled.

"I-I'll inform the police," Stantend stuttered, just as shocked.

Gaz couldn't do much but stand there with wide eyes where Simmons had disappeared.

"Until I have killed all of you!"

All... her... Dib... and...

Then all is illuminated

"The bastard," she hissed under her breath, her grip on the wood tightening. She was going to kill him. There was no doubt about it.

She could just feel the blood sink beneath her fingernails.

"I never..." Karst whispered. "Does that mean he's going back after Dib?"

Gaz froze.

"I'll kill him first!" she pushed herself away from Karst and started to run back towards the hospital.

He was not going to get Dib. He was not. He would die if he did. He might have killed her father... but he was not going to get Dib. She would kill him first. He would pay for what he had done to them. Pay for everything they had gone through.

She would kill him for her father.

For only a moment

"I'm here to see-"

"Dib? He's gone. Disappeared during the night."

"... what...?"

"Um... what's with that piece of bloody wood?"

Gaz shut the hospital door behind her as her brain sped through each level. Dib disappeared last night, meaning shortly after she had left. Simmons could not have found him yet- but was that the case? Should I be worried about Dib finding Simmons? Does he—he knows. That is why Simmons tried to kill him. So he is after Simmons? But he is injured! How could he do that?

Gaz knew two people were too many for her to track. She had no clue where to look for Dib. Unless he was home, which she doubted, there was nowhere where she could think of that he would be.

She needed help.

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Before all is covered in darkness

"Yes, you heard Zim correctly!" Zim shouted at the receiver. "Zim wouldn't waste his time otherwise! ... Yes I can call back tomorrow. What? Grrrr... Computer!"

Zim slammed the telephone down in a fiery rage, but as the phone did not catch on fire, he turned his thought to wondering how his elementary skool teacher did it.

"Computer! Answer!"

"Now what is it?" the computer groaned.

"What else have you gotten from the police case files so far?" Zim questioned, wanting to get started on something more then just a name before the morning was through.

"Why don't you ask Gaz? She's at the door."

"What?" Zim exclaimed, turning towards the door in surprise. As if on a cue, the doorbell rang. Zim did not even bother putting on his disguise and strode over to open the door.

"Gaz!" he stared past her, at his guard gnomes that were destroyed. "Why are you here? Where's your brother?"

"He's gone!" she exclaimed. "He's trying to kill a scientist!"

Zim blinked. "I know he didn't want to take the position, but still..."

"No!" Gaz barked at him, causing Zim to cringe, "Simmons! The one who killed Dad!"

"I thought that was an accident?" Zim questioned, now a bit confused.

"It wasn't," she continued, murder written clearly on her face.

"So Dib's trying to kill him... he's awake?" Zim asked hopefully. That would be one good thing in a week of bad.

"Zim! You have to stop him!" she grabbed his shirt by the front and shook him.

"Why?" Zim asked, surprised. "That man killed your father! Don't you want him to die?"

"Yes!" she exclaimed. "But he can't do it! It's Dib, Zim! You know him better then that! He isn't a murderer! He can't kill him! I'll loose him if he does that! Please! I don't think he'll listen to me!"

Then another drop of light

Zim grabbed her hands, stopping her from shaking him. She was still displaying the anger on her face, but her words told him all he needed to know. "You're going to try and kill him yourself..."

"So what?" she pulled away from him, not appreciating the sentimentality he was trying to display for her, which irritated him.

"You can't do that either Gaz."

"I'll do what I want."

I'll loose you then, is what Zim thought of saying, but he knew that wasn't the case. He cursed Gaz for being who she was. She would not be any different for killing another person. She would not be killed by him- or would she? She was only Human. All Humans ran out of luck. What if her time was up when she found this Fortif? She was too... Irken for him to allow him to let her die.

"You have to find your brother," Zim told her. "Zim might mess it up. Gaz, you're the only person he does listen to."

"But I-" Gaz started again.

"Find your stupid brother!" Zim shouted at her, shoving her back out the door and taking her hasty weapon. "Keep him from being killed, that is Zim's job!" She turned to argue with him some more.

And he shut the door in her face.

Falls