Chapter Two
Dib was, in every sense of the word, exhausted.
He'd been on his feet for twenty one hours straight; his only moments of rest were seconds of leaning against door frames, walls and desks in between seeing patients and collecting medication. He still wasn't sure of his choice to become a doctor but when you need money, you'll do anything, even if that means putting your obsession aside for a few years (Well, not completely of course, but a 'quick' fix from the internet before bed helped the crazy keep trudging on throughout their normal lives).
Dib was in desperate need of funding, so desperate that he decided to leave the fate of the world up to chance while he was away working on his PhD. Having your paranormal investigation money cut off by your dad at sixteen really drove a boy to study a real science!
There were two things in life Dib had decided for himself. One: he'd never stop trying to help the world from being a better/safer place, despite how many of his fellow humans taunted his beliefs. Two: he'd never, ever, in a million centuries stop chasing him. Even if it took him half of his life to find him and the rest of his days trying to stop him, he'll always be looking out for that little green alien.
Zim.
He hadn't seen that little maniac in years. Nine, in fact. Professor Membrane had moved his family halfway across the globe in one of his spur of the moment experiments to see to the effects on his laser-eyed pigeoncats homing ability, much to Dibs disagreement. Not that anyone cared for his opinion on where they lived (or on any subject actually), Gaz was sold when she heard European Bloaty's had recently released seven new pizzas for their new 'mystery flavour cheeses'. All Dib could do was pack his stuff, report Mothman's future absence to the Swollen Eyeball and say his goodbyes as if there was anyone that would really have cared about his departure...
Well, there had been someone. Rivals or not, the absence of one was surely going to alert the other. It was only fair to tell your enemy that the war would be put on hold, and you certainly wouldn't wish for them to think you a coward! No, that wouldn't do, it wouldn't do at all.
Dib was sure he would never forget that day, it was burned into his brain like the laser eyed pigeoncats faeces burned into the concrete. His luggage was already gone, as was Gaz. Both had been flown out to their new home somewhere on the other side of the planet, preparing for their new life ahead of them. Dib had begged his father for this moment; just one day to settle a three year long battle, to put a pause on this tug-of-war game over the Earth's safety, the next fight to be for another day, a clash caught in time. Dib remembered the nerves, the eon long wait outside that bathroom door leading into the odd green house, GIR's high-pitched scream inside, several wary glances at gnomes long broken from fights months ago as if a glowing red eye was still to be expected. Until that door finally opened, ruby red eyes peeking defiantly through the cracked opening, searching for some form of threat.
Those eyes. Those large, crystal clear eyes were just amazing. Dib had always been mesmerized by those diamond sharp eyes, always following him, watching his every move. Dib recalled wondering why such a stunning feature was stuck to such a horrid creature.
'What a waste'
"What do you want, Dib-beast?"
Zim sighed, swinging the door open after realising that the boy had come unarmed. He had never been able to find logic in the worm-baby's behaviour and had long since given up trying.
"Hello Zim. I... Uh... need to speak with you."
"We're conversing now, foolish human"
"Yes, but, well... I need to speak to you about something serious so if you could stop glaring at me and if Skoodge could quit hiding behind you then I'll –"
"What Skoodge!? There is no Skoodge, only ZIM! Zim does not need any other irkens on this dirt ball. For ZIM is far mightier and great than all! Zim shall conquer this puny planet and all that dwell on its disgusting surface!"
"Zim, I can see him hiding between your legs. Look, he's looking at me right now!"
"YOU LIE!"
"Hello Skoodge."
"Hello Dib-human."
"Bad Skoodge! Bad!" Zim had kicked Skoodge, shooing him back into the living room. Dib had guessed the space boy had felt betrayed by Skoodge's simple action; Zim had been surprisingly sensitive to that sort of thing.
"So what is so important that you require some of Zim's precious, precious time, Hmm?"
"I'm moving, Zim"
"..."
Dib swore to the existence of the Sasquach that he saw a sliver of sadness flash across Zim's face as his words hit him. Antennae flicked back, flat against the green skull, lips slightly curled upwards to expose sharp tips of white fangs, eyes squinted as his mind looked for the meaning behind the words. As for the reason behind his sadness, Dib had no clue. Maybe Zim had been disappointed that his favourite plaything was going away, perhaps he would miss the challenge like when Dib tried real science for a week or Zim, like Dib, had realised that both of them had far more in common than either would ever admit aloud.
"And why would this be, Dib-thing? Does this mean you finally submit to the irken armada? INEVITABLE VICTORY FOR Z-"
"NO! No, I don't submit to anything! My dad is just dragging me halfway across the freaking planet; I want to put a pause in place."
"A 'pause'? Foolish, pathetic human! There is no pause on progress; there is no stop button on destruction! Why on Irk should I hold off claiming this horrible piece of rock just for you?"
"Look Zim, I don't expect you to just give up trying to take Earth but I just thought you'd want the challenge. You wouldn't want your leaders thinking that you only managed to take over Earth because some human kid left? That you were so incompetent that you needed me to leave just so you could succeed, do ya?"
"Zim needs no-one to succeed, Zim can claim your dirt ball any day!"
"So... you'll put off trying to capture Earth until I get back then?"
"Of course! How else would the mighty Zim show you how easy he can pull Earth from under your shoes? I wish to see you broken as Zim returns to Irk as an elite... Uh... Elite! Earth shall be mine!"
"Alright then, but you have to make sure nothing else destroys Earth while I'm gone. It won't count otherwise!"
"Duh, worm-baby. Earth is Zim's to conquer and Zim's alone!"
And that was all.
Dib went home, was flown to his new home, sped though the education system (It's amazing what a fresh start and a lack of an enemy can do!), and after graduating from university at seventeen, Membrane had decided his pigeoncats weren't coming back and all three returned to their old, dusty, untouched residence.
But Zim was long gone.
Barren ground lay in place of the base, bits of half-buried scrap metal were scattered across the small, empty gap. Neighbours couldn't remember anyone living there, his old school couldn't find Zim's file on their database, teachers couldn't recall Zim's face, it was as if the space boy had never existed. He searched and searched, going door-to-door, phoning up photographers that may have some proof of Zim's existence but all wound up just a dead end. Eventually Dib 'moved on', he'd completed his doctors intern ship a year ago and was now a fully fledged adult at the young age of twenty two (Still living with his dad and Gaz though, he wasn't ready to spend his earnings on anything other than paranormal gear just yet!).
A door slam ended Dibs reminiscing, picking himself up from against the wall, off he went to collapse into his bed. Tomorrow was Saturday, the 24th of September, a day now claimed as 'Zim Day', where he and Gaz (who only agreed so Dib, in his pitiful state, would stop bugging her and she wouldn't have to waste energy to beat him into a hellish place where he'd wish she'd never have been born) would go about the country in search of paranormal stuffs in the hopes of finding clues about Zim's whereabouts.
A smile crept onto his face, it's was his favourite pick-me-up activity after all.
_
So what do you guys think about these first two chapters? I like them personally (but I wrote them so it doesn't count) because it's just the start of what I plan to be a long story! I will never let this fic die, I hate, hate, love, hate dead fics!
You get sooo into them, knowing that it hasn't been updated in, like, three years but it's so good or you just love the story and then, when you reach the end… BAM! A bit of your soul just dies, knowing that your simple wish for an ending shall never be fulfilled!
So even if it takes me years (hopefully not) or I get writers block and I must resort to spewing out whatever thoughts on the story I have just to update, I will finish this! Updates will not be on a regular basis because I don't have regular access to a computer or internet but whenever I do I will be typing my fingers off and uploading ASAP, I promise you! So if you would do me an honour and R&R, I will kiss the screen in appreciation for each one, thank you!