Author's Notes: And now we return to Zim and Dib! Thank you for reading, and please enjoy!
(Back with Zim...)
[Present Day]
Bowling…
He was surprised to discover that he was actually good at the sport.
"Seriously Miz is there anything you are not good at?" Dib whined as he started his turn.
Zim snickered, the child was an enigma all his own, one second, he was superior, going beyond Zim's every expectation for the perfect enemy. And the next, well the next second would be an ungraceful reminder that Dib was only a child.
For example, Dib is smart enough to knock Zim off his feet in training, something not even the most elite warriors could do. However, he couldn't aim a bowling ball straight if his life depended on it.
Such a thing was unheard of when it came to Irkens, on Irk everyone was perfect at betraying the characteristics of their code. As an Alpha, Zim was coded to be perfect at everything! The perfect soldier! The perfect fighter! The perfect example! The perfect Invader! The perfect weapon!
On Irk there was no margin for error, you either had what it takes, or you didn't deserve the space you took up. Humans couldn't be more different, they had opportunities, they had equality, they had rights, and they had freedom.
They were the perfect example of what Irk once was… LOST!
Or at least that was what his programing screamed. Zim, however, could not help but wonder, if the programing was really for the best. After all, if the program was as vital and as important as they say; wouldn't Irkens just naturally, do it?
Why did they have to be programed?
No other race was programed to think this way, it was natural, and none of their planets had suffered for it. Then again Zim would never know that for sure since the Armada always attacked before the home race ever got a chance to destroy their own world.
What would happen if Earth was left alone?
'The last known planet with rich resources would be lost.' His programing said.
But would it really? Would it really be so bad to just let them be?
Zim shook his head, what was he thinking? He had a mission to do, a purpose to fulfill! He could not allow this human dirt child to change him.
No, he would not make that mistake again!
'More harm than good comes out of disobeying the programing.' He reminded himself. 'Do you really want what happened with Lard Nar to happen again?'
No, no he didn't, not again, never ever again.
"Hey Miz, you going to go anytime soon?" Dib asked, breaking him from his thoughts.
"Oh right." Zim said as he grabbed his bowling ball.
Dib watched as Miz took his position, slightly to the left of the ramp, since he was left-handed, his ball always leans slightly to the right. Dib thought it was brilliant how Miz calculated his weaknesses and made subtle changes in order to correct that action.
He aims, rears the ball back, and slings his arm forward before releasing.
Dib watches as the bowling ball hits the ramp like a graceful bird, there is no loud thud of a ball dropping, or cracking of the ramp. Miz's ball glides as if it's hovering slightly, and as always, it's a perfect strike.
Zim smiles he supposed being programed for perfection had its benefits.
Dib sighed. "Well, I am personally tired of getting my butt kicked."
Zim laughed. "Poor little Dib, can't take a beating without whining."
Dib laughed, usually when people picked on him like this, he'd get angry, but he's known Miz long enough to understand that he's just teasing. "Yeah, well it wouldn't hurt for you to go easy on me just once you know."
Miz Scoffed. "What good would that do you?" he asked. "Do you think this Zim will go easy on you?"
Dib stopped, Miz had a point Zim would not go easy on them. "Do you really think we can stop him?" he asked.
Zim stopped, no wonder the boy's game was off, he was too anxious about tomorrow. "We'll do fine." He assured him. "With any luck; me being there will catch him off guard."
Dib nodded, Miz was right. Zim was probably thinking that Miz would never face him head on. That he would be too afraid to even try. "Is there anything else you remember about him?" he asked.
"Your age will make no difference to him; he had no problem with trying to kill a kid." Miz answered, even though technically it's a lie. There are lines that even he will not cross for his Tallest and slaying Children was one of them. Which brought a problem to light seeing how some of his enemies were children.
"Any weaknesses?" Dib asked hopefully.
"None that I could ever find." Miz answered. "But I only ran from him for about 24 hours."
"Why do you think he never came back for you after he escaped the pyramid?" Dib asked.
Miz shrugged. "I've been asking myself the same question ever since I found out it was the same guy." He admitted. "I thought he died in there, but he's been alive this whole time…"
"Maybe he thought you didn't make it out either." Dib thought.
Miz nodded. "Maybe…" he seemed to agree. "Doesn't matter though, if we see him tomorrow; he'll know the truth."
"Hey I'm here." Dib said, butting his hand on his shoulder. "We're in this together."
Zim freezes as that Zing of electricity courses through him again, it feels all warm and inviting. He's never felt this sensation before today.
'What are you?' Zim wonders as he looks at Dib unsure.
Dib blushes, and avoids his eyes, looking down at his watch. His eyes widen. "Shoot is it that time already?" he asked.
Zim looked at his own watched and noticed that it was close to 9:00 pm, he had hoped to leave earlier at closing time, but he forgotten one small detail. Since it was the weekend the bowling alley was always open late into the night. 'How could I lose track of time so easily?' He wondered 'How is this boy doing this to me?'
"Wow I guess we lost track of time." Dib admitted out loud.
Miz smiled. "I should walk you home." He stated.
Dib blushed again. "Okay." He said as they took off their bowling shoes and went to return them to the front counter.
Zim cocked an eyebrow at him. 'Why does he keep turning red like that?' he wonders. 'Is it some kind of human thing?' He remembered reading about this in his studies on the way to Earth. Human's skin changed colors depending on certain situations. For example, if a human was ill, they could take on a green, or gray look to the skin. Yellow often meant there was some internal organ in peril, but red… he couldn't remember red. He made a mental note to check in on that later, as he and Dib headed out the door and into the cold night air.
Dib watched as Miz shivered slightly, the day had been warm enough; so, he did not have a coat. However, it was the early months of autumn and Dib knew that in his area the true autumn cold had a hard time settling in. Causing the days to start off warm but get colder as it drawled to a close. Miz on the other hand must be used to warmer weather all year round, places like Egypt must have had an effect on him. "Here." Dib offered as he took off his trench coat and placed it on Miz's shoulders.
Zim is stunned, in fact he is so stunned that he doesn't react right away. No one has ever offered to shelter him from the cold before. When he was young Zim had to learn to deal with the fact that he was more effected by the cold than others. Those who gave into the elements were considered weak and frail. However, here on Earth bundling up against the cold seemed natural.
"It's okay, I'll be fine." Dib said mistaking his stunned behavior for worry that he would catch a cold. "I've been in this kind of cold without a coat before."
Zim is floored by his kindness and is not quite sure how to respond. No one had ever offered him the clothes off their backs before. Why jeopardize your own wellbeing for another? On Irk the strong survived, and the weak did not, but on Earth the weak and strong live in a sense of balance.
Zim couldn't understand why.
Why waste your time worrying about others?
"I don't think I'll be able to sleep tonight." Dib admitted. "What about you?"
"Probably not." Zim admitted as he allowed himself to slip into the sleeves of Dib's coat. It smells like Dib, and the fact that he's going to end up smelling like a human should sicken him. However, Zim finds himself relaxing in the warmth that was Dib.
"You know you can sleep over at my place if you need to." Dib offered.
Miz looks relieved at the offer. "I would, but my parents don't like it when I don't give them an advance notice about these things." He revealed as they arrived at Dib's house.
"Okay well call me when you get home." Dib said.
"But I don't have your number." Zim said.
"You do now." Dib said as he handed him a piece of paper, a bunch of numbers were scribbled on it. "I keep forgetting to give you this." He admitted.
Zim laughed, and accepts the paper, after all he knows friends call each other, and unfortunately being Dib's friend was part of his cover. At first, he thought this friendship would be a good strategy, but now that the child was having an effect on him, he wasn't so sure.
It was odd, Lard Nar had a similar effect on him, but it wasn't exactly the same. Lard Nar was like a mentor, a teacher, someone to guide him. Like how he helped him discover his love for inventing. However, Dib was different, he made him feel like it was okay to be weak; it was okay to be himself. Even Lard Nar had to work on breaking him out of his shell. Dib, however, just burst right through his defenses, like it was nothing. And despite his better judgement Zim just allowed him to come barging right in.
"Well, I'll see you tomorrow." Dib told him.
Zim smiled. "Count on it."
Dib returned the smile and watched him turn and walk away. "Good night." He called after him.
"Night." Zim said and kept walking.
Dib sighed and walked through the front door of his house.
"Dib you're late!" Gaz growled from her place on the couch, her girlfriend Peg is giving him a worried look.
"You had us worried." She said.
"Worried?" Dib asked.
"It's okay she knows." Gaz said. "I told Darkbootie I don't keep secrets from my girlfriend so she's in."
"I'm Shadow Cat." Peg said.
Dib suddenly understood, Gaz wasn't mad he was late, she was mad that he hadn't called to let her know he was still safe. "I'm sorry Gaz, I lost track of time, Miz and I just got back from the bowling Alley, and-"
"It's okay." Gaz cut him off. "Just don't do it again or I'll kill you myself." She warned. "And trust me death by my hands will be much worse than whatever that alien has in store."
Dib shivered, sometimes his sister really scared him. He decided to change the subject. "Hey where's Dad?" He asked.
"He and Darkbootie went back to base." Gaz answered. "They are hoping to find a clue that shows that the aliens mom left with are still here."
"Do you think they'll really help us?" Dib asked.
"Mom helped them." Gaz said. "They owe her one."
Dib nodded that might be true, but what if these robotic squids didn't see it that way?
"Hey Dib." Peg asked looking unsure. "Did you leave your trench coat at the Bowling Alley?"
"No." Dib answered. "I gave it to…" he stopped and realized that Miz still had his trench coat. "Hu Miz..." he groaned.
Gaz scoffed. "Could you be more obvious?" She asked.
What?" Dib asked.
Peg gasped. "You have a thing for Miz!" She exclaimed.
"What?" Dib turns blood red. "No, I don't…we're just friends."
Gaz shook her head. "Dib guys don't offer each other their coats."
"I think it's cute." Peg assured him. "Besides Miz seems like a nice guy."
"He better be." Gaz warned. "Or I'll mess him up the same way I messed up the last one." She growled. Of course, she was referring to Dib's first crush, the guy who had turn Dib into the biggest gay joke this side of town.
"No. I learned my lesson." Dib said. "Miz and I are just friends, besides look at him he's probably a chick magnet." He sighed.
"Well, I do know some girls who are asking about him, but he doesn't appear interested in anyone." Peg admitted.
"No one but you." Gaz said with a sly smile. She loved teasing her brother about being in love, it was fun. However, she never publicly humiliated him like his first crush had.
No, this was a normal sibling thing.
"Well, I think it's great that you have him." Peg said, giving Gaz her "be nice" glare. "Even if you just stay friends."
Dib smiled. "Thanks Peg." He said.
"No problem, now sit down and kill some time with us." Peg offered as she patted the place beside her on the couch.
Dib obeyed and settled down. "What are we watching?" he asked.
"The news." Gaz said. "Darkbootie told me you and Miz are thinking about checking out the factory, maybe some UFO sightings have already been reported in the area."
Dib nodded and grew serious as he reached for his computer on the coffee table. "I'll check some known UFO websites maybe they've seen something."
And just like that the three agents were busy at work. Looking for any hint that the enemy had arrived.
However, little did they know that the enemy was already here…
(Back with Zim…)
Zim sighed in relief as he finally made it home, he wasted no time entering through the door, and removing his disguise. "Computer ready the Voot I have an arrival to stage." he said.
"Sir what are you wearing?" The computer asked.
"What?" Zim looked down and noticed for the first time that he was still wearing the trench coat. "Dib!" he pulls out his phone and remembers to call. The computer watches impatiently as Zim punches in the number from a piece of paper.
There are three rings, and then an answer. "Hey Miz, this you?" Dib's voice asks.
"Yeah, just calling to let you know I'm okay." Zim said, he hears a sigh of relief from the other end.
"Thank goodness." Dib said.
"Hey, I have your trench coat." Zim said, trying to cut the call short.
Dib laughed. "Yeah, I know." he said. "Just give it to me tomorrow when we go to investigate."
"Sure." Zim said, "Bye."
"Hey Skype, me so we can research together." Dib requested.
Zim does his best not to groan in annoyance, humans were so clingy it was annoying! And yet he found a smile slipping on his face. This would be good for his cover. "Sure, just text me your Skype name and I'll call you." he said.
"K see you in a minute." Dib said.
"Count on it." Zim assured him before hanging up, seconds later his phone pings with a Text from Dib.
"Sir how are you going to Skype the monkey and stage an arrival?" The computer asked.
"Easy that's what my double is for." Zim answered, as said robot doubled appeared beside him. Zim hands him Dib's trench coat and his phone. "Go upstairs and Skype the Dib."
"Yes, Master I obey." The robot double said before putting on the trench coat, and heading up stairs.
"GIR we're leaving!" Zim shouts as he heads down towards the lab.
"Are we getting tacos?" GIR asked as the refrigerator rose to reveal the elevator.
"No GIR we've got work to do." Zim reminded him.
"Sir perhaps getting spotted on purpose is not the best idea." The computer advised as they entered the elevator and took the trip down.
"Trust me computer I know what I am doing." Zim said as the doors opened to the lab. He steps out and wastes no time starting up the Voot.
"Sir these humans are having an effect on you; I advise you to go back to Irk." The Computer warned.
"Go back!" Zim snapped. "I have a mission to complete."
"You need to be reprogramed." The computer warned.
"You worry too much." Zim assured the brain. "Once I face them as my true self these lies will go away, just like last time."
The computer seems to accept this reasoning. "For our sakes I hope you're right."
Zim turned on his Voot's cloaking device and used a molecule destabilizer to allow the ship to phase through the roof of his base. "Alright Gir, this is it; this stage arrival will open the door to our first encounter with the Dib."
"Mary?" GIR asked happily. "I've heard so much about him, I can't wait to meet him."
"Just remember you are not GIR the dog, you are a SIR." Zim reminded him.
GIR nodded as his eyes turned red, his serious mode was always activated whenever Zim called him SIR instead of GIR. It was a program that Zim had added later on to keep GIR from messing up the missions.
When he was in this state GIR was deadly, and cold.
Zim didn't like him this way, to be honest he preferred his Gir, but it was vital for the mission.
With GIR ready, and the Voot far away from prying eyes Zim turned off the cloaking device and flew over the farmland that would lead him to the factory.
"Master we'll be seen." GIR reminded him, red eyes blazing.
"That's the idea Sir." Zim laughed. "It's the bait to lure the Dib." he begins to laugh wickedly, and soon evil GIR joins in.
Yes, soon the enemy would meet the real Zim, and then everything would be back to normal.
(On the farm...)
A tired Farmer rolls over in his bed, a weird whooshing sound had awoken him from a deep sleep. He opened his eyes to see his room as bright as day, he looked at his clock, and his eyes widen as he realizes it's only 10:00pm. "What the!"
His wife springs out of the bed, and pulls back the curtains, and gasped. There in the sky was a large purple looking spaceship!
"Aliens!" She screamed as she picked up the phone.
Her husband grabs his shot gun and races out of the room, and through the front door, but by the time he goes to aim, the ship is gone...
(Back with Dib...)
Dib yawned, he, Gaz, and Peg had been watching the news for a while now, but nothing was being said about UFO's. Even Dib's computer was drawing up a blank. Of course, Miz was there, he had skyped Dib just as he promised to, and Dib couldn't help but blush as he noticed his friend was still wearing his trench coat. At the moment, he was Skyping Dib on his phone as he searched his computer for UFO sightings, or anything else strange that could indicate an arrival of the enemy.
However, he wasn't having any better luck than they were.
"This is getting us nowhere." Miz said. "Is there something else we can watch besides the news?" Dib suddenly had an idea, and grabbed the remote from Gaz, and flipped the channel.
"Dib what are you doing?" Gaz asked.
Dib changed the channel to Mysterious Mysteries; an image of the night sky shows on the screen.
"Oh, come on Dib this show?" Peg asked. "It's fake!"
"Yeah, most of the stuff is." Dib admitted. "But I just remembered that every Saturday they watch the Stars."
"For what?" Peg asked.
Suddenly a bright white light appears racing across the sky.
"This just in." A voice sounded on the TV. "A strange UFO like object has just been sighted over the Westville Pig farm and headed east."
"Dib that's right by the factory!" Peg exclaimed.
"It's him, it's has to be!" Dib said as he grabbed a spare coat from the coat rack by the door.
"Dib what are you doing?" Miz asked.
"We've got to go check it out!" Dib declared, and to his surprise Peg and Gaz moved to get ready too, each of them grabbing several high-tech weapons from around the house.
"I'll text Dad and Darkbootie and tell them to meet us there." Gaz said as she starts texting.
"Shouldn't we wait?" Miz advised.
"There's no time." Peg said. "We could lose him."
Miz nods. "Dib meet me at my house!"
"We're on our way." Dib answers, and watches as Miz hangs up.
"Dad texted me back." Gaz said, looking at her phone. "He said he'll meet us there, but don't take any chances until they arrive."
Dib nodded. "We're just going to assess the situation." He promised her. "This is our one chance to get the drop on him."
Gaz nodded, they had to do this. She could only hope they'd do it right.
(Back with Zim...)
They had just landed the Voot just seconds before Mysterious Mysteries had revealed their location.
However, Zim's robot double did not need to call him to warn him the enemy was coming...The robot's server board was link with Zim's PAK, allowing him to receive the data of everything the robot heard, and saw. And he wasn't surprised that the Dib was on his way over. No, he knew Dib would be too ambitious to wait for tomorrow and would force the team to move forward in their plans.
Yes, he had been expecting this.
He also knew Dib wouldn't wait for Darkbootie leaving the children unprotected. This would allow Zim's robot double to save Dib from certain doom, earning his trust completely. And if all went according to plan Darkbootie and Dib's Father would arrive after the fact.
"Okay SIR let's start drilling." he ordered, as his Voot transformed into a drilling device. The computer had added the feature to the Voot days before as instructed. Originally Zim had wanted a separate drill, but this worked better for the plan, and it saved room in the lab.
"Yes, Master I obey!" GIR said.
"Sir you should speak Irken when they get here." The computer advised. "We all should."
Zim nodded and hissed a response in Irken. "Of course." Pride rose in his belly at the sound of his own native tongue. Yes, this was what he had been hoping for, he already felt like his Irken self again. He laughed maniacally as he pressed the button to start the drilling process. And soon the Voot Drill was drilling into the ground, the materials that it unearthed was carefully sucked up through a hose and stored in storage units in the back of the Voot.
It was perfect, and to think in 5 days' time he'd have wondrous news for the Tallest, he would be able to tell them that he had started collecting resources for Operation Impending Doom 2 a full three years a head of scedule. Yes, everything was falling into place, now all he had to do was one more thing.
"I hope you're ready to meet the real me Dib beast." Zim hissed in his native tongue. "Because ready or not; the game has begun..."
-To Be Continued
End Notes: Yes, Yes, I know you are dying to see them meet and I keep cutting off just short of it happening, but this is it! One more chapter and I promise they will meet the real Zim!
So, until next time this is Emily signing off 😊