"And vines, and mushrooms… and that! That's a um… a fern," Dib chuckled nervously. "Don't really know what kind, though. Ferns are ferns, right?"
"I suppose?" Autumn looked up from the forest floor to meet his excited look. "I don't know much about plants."
"Well… I don't know much about them either, I guess. It's just fun to look around." Dib wanted to facepalm so badly. He only brought up these plants in the first place because he wanted something to talk about with Autumn, but now he felt like he was just stifling any connection that there was.
So they walked in silence. Which wasn't half bad, he thought. It was nice just to be in someone's company, quietly enjoying the time they had together. It was a cool day, but not too cold, and the air smelled crisp. The leaves on the surrounding trees were clearly beginning to turn from green into their warm reds and browns of fall. It was Dib's favorite season, just because of the leaves.
"Is there anything you do know about, then?" Autumn asked, startling Dib.
"Sorry- what?"
"You just said you don't know much about plants," she said patiently. "But is there anything you feel… you know, more knowledgeable about? Sorry if that came out wrong…"
"No, no! Nothing to apologize for, it's totally fine," he smiled at her to calm her. "I like… Um, I know about… Well, I've always liked aliens and- uh,-" he stammered as he tried to backpedal from his mistake. "I mean the paranormal, y-you know, like bigfoot. And… Stuff."
"Did you say aliens?" She looked intrigued, but Dib wanted to crumple up into a sad ball of paper at this line of questioning.
"Y-yeah. I did. But it's silly and we don't need to-"
"I've always wanted proof of alien life," she sighed.
"I know it's cringey but- excuse me?" Dib's jaw dropped open as he processed what she said. He forced himself to close it, though, when she gave him a weird look.
"I've always wanted to see real proof? I just-" her shoulders slumped. "My editor doesn't believe. I'm sure it would be the perfect story, but I don't have any evidence."
"Oh…" Dib rubbed at the back of his neck awkwardly. "That sounds rough, I uh, I'm sorry to hear that."
"Nothing for you to apologize for. It is what it is, I'm afraid," she muttered.
"Well, what if you could find proof one day?" Dib wanted to smack himself for saying such a thing, but he couldn't stop it from leaving his mouth.
"If I could?" She smiled. "I'd be- oh I don't know, enthralled? It would be like magic to me, to know the answer to that ultimate question of life elsewhere."
"Ah. I see…" he mumbled. He knew he shouldn't say anything further, that he had made a promise to Gaz, but he felt like he trusted Autumn. Plus, he knew the pain of wanting so badly to know the truth and yet be denied at every turn and angle. How frustrating it was to have the truth just at the tip of your fingertips. "It would be nice, wouldn't it?" He whispered.
"Yeah."
"So… what would you do if you met one?"
Gaz sighed as she laid down on the soft grass outside the bunker. Zim was still moping around after his therapy, so she suggested they come up for some fresh air. Not a terrible idea. It wasn't too cold, and the grass was soft to lie on. It was relaxing just lying there and listening to the birds sing. She looked over to her left to see Zim lying there, his hands behind his head and his eyes glazed over as he stared at the sky.
Still not talking.
"You okay?" She asked, not surprised when he didn't answer her. "Listen, I just want to make sure you're-"
"I am fine," he finally said after this hour of silence.
"You don't seem fine."
"Well, I am," he looked over at her and frowned. "Why do you ask so many?"
"Because I'm… I'm…. Zim, you had that session and then you didn't say a word to me."
"Nothing to say," he said as he turned back to stare at the sky.
"I find that hard to believe," she scoffed. "Look, you don't have to tell me what you talked about, I just want to know that you're… handling it alright."
"I am."
Gaz sighed. She wasn't exactly sure what she was looking for here. Maybe an acknowledgement of his feelings? It wasn't healthy to bottle up like this, but she wasn't a therapist. It wasn't her place. So she just laid in the grass, breathing in and out. Enjoying the smell of crisp autumn air and the cool breeze. Much nicer than the overbearing heat of summer, she thought.
Zim would come around, she was sure that he would. He just needed to come to terms with… whatever it was that happened in that session. And when he did, she would be here to support him.
Well, until he wasn't here. She frowned at that thought. Over these past few weeks or so, she had gotten used to his presence. It was now weird imagining her life without him. Especially since she wasn't even sure if she could go back to her life without him. Surely they would separate once he got his hologram? It all seemed so… confusing and lost. She couldn't go back to her apartment or her school, not unless she wanted to be detained and questioned by the government for the rest of her life. Or maybe if she was lucky, her father could strike some sort of deal for her to keep her out of that.
But she wasn't sure, and the anxiety of it made her feel nauseous.
"You okay?"
She blinked, looking over at Zim, who was now intently staring at her.
"Yeah… I'm fine," she said softly.
"You breathe fast."
"Oh. It's- it's nothing, Zim. I'll just miss you when you go on to do your own thing."
He looked confused, his brows furrowing.
"Why would I go?"
"Because… I can't… I can't live in hiding-" she paused, the sound of her phone ringing cutting her off. Gaz groaned internally when she saw who was calling. Her brother. Great.
"Hello?" she said, exasperated already.
"Heyyyy Gaz!"
"What do you want." She knew that tone and was unfortunately well acquainted with it.
"Nothing! I mean- well, look. I'm coming up to Phil's right now. Are you inside?"
"No, I'm outside the door. Why?" She narrowed her eyes in suspicion.
"Oh, good!" Dib said nervously.
"Good? Why is that good?"
"What is happening?" Zim asked, but Gaz gestured for him to stay quiet.
"It's good because, uh," Dib said, "Gaz, don't be mad."
"Why would I be mad? Dib?" she said through gritted teeth and sat up, looking around themselves to see for any sign of her brother.
"Because… Okay listen, so Autumn-"
Gaz rolled her eyes. "Please don't talk my head off about Autumn again, okay? I really don't care about her."
"Hey, don't say that! She's nice… Listen, Autumn is like me, right? She believes in aliens and alien life, a-and she always wanted to meet an alien- just like me!"
Gaz felt like her stomach was twisting and rolling over. "And? Why do I give a shit about that, Dib?"
"What is-" Zim tried again, but Gaz shushed him.
"Because I um, I brought her back with me."
"WHAT?!" Gaz screamed out, scrambling to her feet to get a better view of the forest around her. "Zim, go back inside- Dib, you turn the fuck around right now, do you hear me!?"
"Gaz-" Zim started, concerned, but she didn't hear the rest of what he said.
"It's fine, Gaz!" Dib assured her. "Autumn is just like me, and she's promised not to tell anyone!"
"You idiot! Turn back around and tell her you were lying!"
"She can hear you, you know."
"I'm going to kill y-" Gaz's voice cut off when she saw them at the edge of the clearing. Dib and a red-haired woman just standing there. She didn't know what to do. Zim was still sitting on the ground, the four of them just stared at each other with wide eyes and dropped jaws. Slowly, Dib and Autumn moved forward towards them, finally coming to a halt just a few yards ahead.
"Dib…" Gaz began. "You. Are. So. Dead."
Dib chuckled nervously. "Come on Gaz, this isn't so bad, right?"
"You." Autumn spoke softly and Gaz snapped her attention to her. Immediately, she felt on edge. Something about the way she just… Stood there spooked Gaz. She didn't look horrified or surprised or intrigued. She just stood still and stared.
Zim didn't react much. He just looked up at her with a blank stare on his face from his position on the ground, like a depressed lump.
"There, you've seen your alien, now turn around and leave," Gaz hissed at her, but Autumn didn't pay her any mind.
"Don't be rude Gaz!" Dib huffed.
"Why is he… sitting like that?" Autumn mumbled.
"None of your business!" Gaz yelled in frustration. She wanted this woman to go away already. Not that it would make a difference given she had already seen…
But Autumn just sighed. "Not what I was expecting," she said.
"What?" Dib cried out. "How could this not be what you were expecting?"
"Doesn't matter." She stiffened up, straightening her back, and then reached to her wrist with her right hand and pressed down. Suddenly, her entire appearance glitched away, and in her place was a purple eyed irken wearing a tight fitting long purple tunic.
"WHAT THE FUCK?" Dib shouted as he jumped back from her.
"Holy shit…" Gaz muttered, also taking a step back.
"Zim," the new alien spoke, "Git núf neíkhosí khí z̀eír ekikaocheí." Her voice was sharp, bitter. But whatever she said finally got a reaction out of Zim, whose antenna snapped up quickly before he jumped to his feet.
"Aí kha al," he growled. Gaz wasn't sure if the question- 'who are you', calmed her or not. Was it good or bad that he didn't know this woman?
She had little time to think about it, however, as right before her eyes, Autumn pulled something out from behind her back- A gun.
"No!" she shouted as Autumn aimed, but Dib was faster, swinging forward to grab the gun out of her hand right as she pulled the trigger. To Gaz, time slowed down. She saw the gun pulled out of Autumn's hands, the laser fire move forward. The shot rang out in her ears, the only sound now that she could hear. As if time slowed and sped up faster than ever all at once, she turned to look at Zim, her breath catching as she dreaded what she would see. But when she finally turned- he was unharmed. The shot missed him, the laser beam landing in some trees behind him. With her adrenaline high, she turned back to scream at Autumn, but someone beat her to it.
"What is the matter with-" Dib's voice cut off when Autumn was tackled to the ground by Zim!
"Al kaovaí!" He screamed out as he threw a punch that the woman dodged. Dib stumbled back to avoid being hit by them as their tussle began, the two aliens rolling around on the ground and throwing punches and screaming at each other in Irken.
"What do we do?" Dib yelled.
"What do you mean we? This is your fucking fault!" Gaz screamed back as she did, in fact, try to think of what to do.
"I didn't know she was an ALIEN!"
"Oh, fucking really? Dib Membrane- didn't realize there was an alien right under his goddamn nose!"
"Fiptaz!" Zim cried out, and the two siblings turned back to see how he narrowly missed a stab to the chest by one of Autumn's PAK legs.
"Fuck!" Gaz shouted, looking around desperately for anything she could use to help this situation. A tree branch, perhaps? But she couldn't see any that were big enough to do any actual damage.
"Nog kha al el fin!" He shouted. Gaz struggled to understand what they were yelling at each other. All she could catch was 'why are you…'
"Git khi aokh 'enera!"
The two of them screamed at each other back and forth in a blur of sharp PAK legs and lunges until finally-
"Túr fívteteích egal ngaísízh ga!" Autumn said, leaving Gaz to be confused. Tall… telling?
"Túr fívteteích kha seídich!" Zim's voice was filled with so much anguish that Gaz's jaw dropped, and even more shocking, the fighting abruptly stopped.
"Wóí…?" Autumn said, confused.
"What just happened?" Dib asked, his hand holding Autumn's gun still trembling.
"Something about the tall being dead, I think."
"The tall?" Dib looked utterly bewildered as well.
"Mi, ka kha seídich," Zim muttered, and Dib and Gaz looked back at him. The two aliens sat on the ground, staring at each other in shock.
"Tut khí z̀aísa!" Autumn began before she rattled off a long stream of irken words much too quickly for Gaz to pick out any individuals. But Gaz took this opportunity wisely. She looked to her right, seeing a sturdy sized branch, and leaned down to grab it. She carefully made her way around the small screaming Irken, sneaking up behind her.
Zim didn't even look up at Gaz while she was doing this, which she was grateful for, and instead stared blankly at Autumn as she yelled at him.
Gaz raised the branch…
"Óíz eí mi ngaol seídich!" Autumn cried desperately just before Gaz clocked her on the head with the tree branch, causing the Irken to crumple to the ground.
"Zim…" Gaz began. "Who is dead? What the fuck is going on? Who is she?"