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Reach

Dib stared at the fluffy clouds slowly crawling on the light-blue background of the sky. On other occasions, he might’ve compared them to white cotton candy, or big puffy pillows. Not today, though. No, today he had to lay in the dirty water of a fountain, trapped beneath a half-destroyed statue of Eros, and all because he chose chasing Zim round town over sitting at home in his pajamas, eating ice cream in front of the TV.

The day started quite normal, actually. Dib saw Zim, Zim announced his planet-conquering, human-defeating, Dib-belittling plans, Dib mocked Zim, Zim insulted Dib and humanity in general, Dib pounced on Zim, Zim began fighting back etc. etc. etc. The usual normalcy for Dib and Zim. What followed was an epic chase throughout the city, which involved jumping over fences and shrubs, and maybe dodging some cars and people.

The epicness ended once they reached the park and Zim accidentally blasted the funny-looking fountain statue with his spider-legs. The alien managed to dodge, but no such luck for Dib, and here he was: lying on his back, in knee-deep, dirty water, with his legs trapped beneath a damaged naked angel statue.

Dib stared at the clouds. They were really, really fluffy today. However, he lost interest immediately when Zim’s obnoxious laughter filled the air.

“Ha! Stuuupid human, you will never defeat Zim! For I am Zim, and Zim is great, so I… am… great? I AM ZIM!”

“Moron,” Dib muttered under his breath. He lifted his hips, trying to wedge himself out, but instead his elbows slipped and he fell once more, splashing the water. Dib cringed at the sudden jolt of pain that run through his body. He felt dizzy and nauseous and he was pretty sure it couldn’t get any worse.

CRASH!

Oh, shit.

Zim whipped his head around, detecting the source of the noise: Gir, dressed in his dog disguise, who had apparently been thrown, bounced of the sidewalk and landed at Zim’s feet.

“Hello mastah!”

“Gir,” Zim snarled, “what are you doing here? You’re supposed to guard the base!”

“The purple piggy needs youuu!”

“The who now?”

“He means me.”

Gaz glared at her stupid brother and the stupid alien and the… Gir was actually smart by comparison.

“What do you want, Dib-sister?”

Giving Dib a quick glance, Gaz said: “Pick up my stupid brother from the fountain and get to your base. I’ll need a distraction, and also your ship. And some nice weapons. Some reeeeally nice weapons.”

“HEY! Nobody orders Zim around, you disg-“ Gaz outright growled now. Marching towards the now-frightened alien, Gaz loomed over him, shadows of doom engulfing them both. “You will do as I say, Zim. A wretched creature has taken something precious of mine, and you and Dib will help me get it back.” Zim internally shivered at the psychotic glint in the girl’s angry stare. “Suppose I help you… what does Zim get out of this?”

“You can boss my brother around.”

“VICTORY!”

“HEY!”

The two turned to Dib, who looked completely offended. He opened his mouth to protest, but another doom-filled glare from his sister shut him up. After a moment, he dared ask, “What happened that got you so upset, Gaz?”

The girl stood silent, grave and doom-like, before lifting her head and saying, her voice an angry whisper, filled with resentment and rage.

“Tak stole my Game Slave.”

~*~*~*~*~
“Now don’t just stand there, get this thing off me!”

Zim snapped out of his thoughts. It had not been too long since Gaz left, but there were so many questions flooding his mind that he forgot about Dib. He cringed in disgust at the sight, the quite nasty predicament the human had gotten himself into. With some help from Zim, but that was irrelevant.

The alien continued to stare at the boy, somewhat torn between once again laughing at the other’s misfortune and a new, unexplainable urge to scoop the human in his arms and… And what? Zim dismissed whatever disturbing thoughts might have followed, mentally cursing Gir’s infamous sprinkled waffles which must have induced all those ideas in his head. Curiously, most, if not all, involved the horrible stinkbeast, but Zim decided not to dwell on that any longer.

“Since we must become allies in order to defeat the threat that is Tak,” he almost spit in disgust at the last word, “Zim will help you, Dib-stink.” After a quick glance at his surroundings to ensure that no other humans were present (truth be told, everybody ran away when Dib and Zim began fighting near the fountain), Zim extracted his spider-legs out of his pak and extended them. Climbing the fountain ledge, Zim carefully stepped on the stone remains, avoiding any wet parts.

“Zim, I can’t feel my legs anymore, could you please hurry up?”

“Be quiet, dirt child. Zim does not want to get any of your acid on his self.”

“Oh c’mon now! It’s just a little water, it can’t p…”

“Yes it bloody Irk does, and you know it!”

“Fine, but it’s only a few inches deep! And you’ve got those boots up to your knees, you can’t possibly still be afraid of getting a little wet on your feet!”

“SILENCE YOU STUPID INSECT!”

Dib winced. Even though he was well aware that screaming was second nature to Zim, whenever it was directed at him, Dib felt very much uneasy. It was unnerving, and even a little creepy, and he really didn’t want to go there, in that hidden place of his mind where neither of them ran or insulted or hated, and why was Zim looking at him so curious, with those big ruby eyes and flat smooth antennas and…

“What!”

Zim sighed in exhaustion. Stupid Dib, every time he wanted to stare at the human, the dirt child just had to respond to it. Not bothering to reply, he grabbed what was left of the statue with his hands and lifted it, throwing it carelessly to the other side of the fountain. Dib sighed in relief. Bringing his knees to his chest, he gently kneaded and rubbed his legs, trying to get the blood running again and drive the numbness away.

Zim found himself staring, once again. He watched those long, pale, bony human fingers run along the sides of the covered legs, stroking and rubbing sore spots. A warm felling filled his squeedly-spooch to the point that Zim actually worried that his insides may be on fire. It was similar to that feeling he got after drinking Meekrob Smoothies, but not really-this time it is was much more intense and urgent. Desperate to distract himself from any deviant thoughts, Zim quickly spat out:

“Is anything permanently damaged?”

Dib scowled. “Unfortunately for you, no. It’s only a…ack!” He didn’t expect that. The pain was back, and his muscles were now violently throbbing. He felt a fresh wave of nausea hit him at full speed, and if Zim hadn’t caught him, he would have… Wait, Zim caught him?

With a pained grunt, Dib squinted and looked at Zim, who was running his hands on his injured leg, looking for any lumps or wounds. It was unreal, to have someone touch him in such a careful way, almost like a…

“Get off!” Breaking his train of thought, Dib pushed the other off him with all his strength. Zim yelped at the sudden reaction and stumbled backwards, landing in the water. A high-pitched shriek echoed throughout the still deserted park, as Zim clawed the air, desperate to get out of that substance which caused him such great pain.

Grabbing the ledge, Zim propelled his body over it and feel with a loud ‘thud’ on the cement. His entire body convulsed spasmodically in a most disturbing way. When the convulsions finally ceased, Zim was breathing desperately, trying to regain his composure. A hand found its way to his shaking shoulder and gave Zim a slight squeeze, which would’ve been comforting, if it weren’t from…

In a swift move, Zim was back on his feet, baring his teeth and adopting a defensive posture. Dib took a step back, but calmed down when he saw Zim wasn’t charging his pak-lasers or drawing out his claws.

“I’m a… look, I’m sorry I pushed you, I just didn’t expect th…”

“You almost killed me, insect.”

“There was no need for you…”

“You’re hurt, Dib-human, and if we want to catch Tak, you have to take care of it!”

“I’m not hurt. I’m okay.”

“No you-“

“I’m okay, honestly!”

“DO NOT LIE TO ZIM!”

“I’M NOT LY-“

In a single movement, Zim was in front of Dib and grabbed a fistful of the teen’s shirt, bringing him closer, making Dib stumble into him. “Your leg is in pain,” he brought a gloved hand to Dib’s cheek, “your internal heat is higher”, unclenching the fist, he moved his hand lower, leaving it to rest so he could feel the human heart, “and your heart organ is beating faster than normal.”

Dib stood silent, relishing in the feeling-Zim’s hands on him, Zim’s low voice, Zim’s intense stare-and slowly replied, this time truthfully, for lack of anything else to say. “Okay. You’re right. I’m not okay.”

Zim released Dib and took a step back. “Then why did you claim otherwise? Why did you lie to Zim?”

“That was barely a lie!”

“You said you were okay when you were clearly not. You liiiiied! Why?!”

“I-I-I don’t know!”

“LIAR!”

“OKAY!”

Dib breath was erratic and frantic, as he began pacing and gesticulating, while at the same time, never taking his eyes off Zim.

“Okay, listen. I supposed it’s maybe just a human thing, but I’ll try to explain it. We sometimes say we’re okay when we’re not for… various reasons. Maybe because we don’t want to talk about it and want to be left alone. Or maybe because we feel that nobody will understand us. Because we don’t want to appear weak in the eyes of others. Because we’re afraid people will just laugh. Because we just… don’t want to worry anyone about us. Because…”

His voice trailed off as he gazed into space, his stare blank and his face emotionless. “Because we don’t want to admit that nobody really worries about us.”

“And you?” Zim’s voice was clear, yet unusually soft. “Why did the Dib say it?”

“Because. All of the above or none at all. Because, in the end, I don’t even know where to start with explaining why I’m not okay.”

The boy paused, before suddenly realizing what had just happened. “Why did you catch me? An-and why are you so interested in wellbeing?”

“Because.”

“Because what?”

“Just because.”

Zim didn’t offer any more information, so Dib just sighed. He knew from the start that Zim was complicated and very hard to understand, but every time he thought he got to know the alien a little better, new information pooled in and old one turned to dust. One step forward, two steps back.

“That statue is really ugly.”

“Um, I think that’s a statue of Eros. The Greek God of love.”

“On the side it reads Agape.”

“That’s… the Greek God of love, too.”

“Then what’s the difference?”

“I DON’T KNOW!”

Zim chuckled, amused at Dib’s outburst. The boy smiled widely as well, surprised at how the situation turned out.

“Go home and get rid of that putrid water smell, Dib-human. Then meet me at my base.”

“Okay,” Dib answered, and began walking home. Maybe he was wrong. Maybe it was actually one step forward, two steps back, three steps forward...

~*~*~*~*~

“SHIT!”

Dib dodged, the laser beam missing him by a mere inch. Getting up on his feet, he ran as fast as he could, jumping and climbing in order to avoid the lasers. He wasn’t lucky enough to avoid all of them, but those that did touch him only pierced his overcoat.

They should have foreseen this. It had all been a trap, of course; still bitter over their last confrontation, Tak came back for revenge and used Gaz’s video games adoration and lack of any feelings towards her brother and Zim against them. Dib picked up his speed, fully aware that Tak was hot on his trail. Sensing an escape route, he ducked under the pier and held his breath. He knew that Gaz and Zim caught up with her at least once, and from her screams, they managed to at least wound her. But for some reason, she was only intent on catching him. Why?

Everything was silent, except for the slight ‘whoosh’ of the evening wind. Dib glanced quickly around the pillar he was hiding behind, trying to spot Tak. Nothing. Nothing, except that nagging feeling that he was being watched by a predator. ‘No… No!’ Dib ducked, but it was too late. Tak pounced and grounded her body into him, pinning him to the ground.

“Got'cha."

~*~*~*~*~

Zim’s antennas stiffened and his breath caught in his throat, but he wouldn’t back down. Not now. Just a few feet away, standing proud at the end of the pier, was Tak, seemingly all alone.

“What do you want, Tak?”

“What do I want, Zim?” Tak imitated, mocking the male alien. “I’ll tell your what I want,” her voice loud and full of hatred, “I want my revenge! It is only your fault that I’m not an Invader, and I will annihilate you in the most gruesome way!”

“I don’t think so”, Zim said, pulling a ray gun from his pak and aiming it at the female, “Gaz already disarmed you and I know that you are too wounded to give your best in a fight. Face it, Tak- you’ve lost.”

‘Do not hesitate’, a small voice whispered in the back of his head, and Zim prepared to fire. With speed only centuries of Irken training could bring, Tak shielded herself.

Zim hesitated.

Dirty, bleeding and with his clothes in shreds, Dib felt the sharp alien claws grip his forearms, as they were forced behind his back. The grip was so strong and tight, that he just knew it was piercing the skin through the fabric.

His eyes locked with Zim’s and Dib instantly that this was it. Tak had to be stopped no matter what, and if this morning’s events were any indication, Zim would not let something as silly as his life stand between him and his victory.

‘It was bound to happen sooner or later,’ he thought. ‘Sooner or later, I would have become just another casualty in alien battles.’

“Well, Zim? What are you waiting for, you pathetic coward? Don’t you have the squeedly-spooch to kill a single insect to get to me?”

Tak’s words finally getting to him, Zim whipped his hand downwards and shot. The beam went straight through Tak’s leg, which she had foolishly left unshielded. The female screamed in agony, hissing as she instinctively arched her back to escape the pain.

Unwilling to surrender, she grabbed Dib’s neck, sharp fingers pushing merciless against human’s pulse point. Dib felt faint, as Tak literally strangled him. Somewhere above him, he heard Zim cry out in his native language. He didn’t understand, but the almost palpable despair in his tone was sickening.

Zim shot again, missing. This time, it hit Dib in the arm. His following scream reverberated into the night. Using her spider-legs, Tak lifted herself off the ground, taking Dib along in a chokehold.

The teen thrashed around, but his face was already turning blue at an alarming rate. He couldn’t breathe, his sight was blurry, hot tears streamed down his cheeks. He was doomed.

Tak took out her own gun with her free hand, but a swift kick to her side made her drop it. With the aid of his spider-legs, Zim was now at the same level with her. His anger at seeing Dib in her grip made the burning feeling inside of him return, this time with a thousand times the intensity. One hand went for her arms, the other for her face.

She managed to dodge the claws attacking her face, but she didn’t expect them to go for her antennas instead. Zim grabbed them and pulled hard in his direction. Tak screamed and used her other hand to deliver a strong punch to Zim’s face. By doing so, she released her grip on Dib’s throat. The boy fell, his body going past the pier and landing with a loud ‘splash’ in the water below.

Zim struggled with Tak, all thoughts of destroying her replaced with ones of saving Dib. In their hassle, their spider-legs entangled and they lost balance, crashing onto the pier.

“The Dib!”, Zim yelled in horror, running towards the edge of the pier. There was no sight of Dib or anything else. He had to save him, he just had to… ‘But it’s water!’ He stared into the water for a long moment. It would be like bathing in acid.

‘So be it.’

Climbing over the railing, Zim straightened his arms and dived.

~*~*~*~*~

Fire. Just like the fire that had pooled in his squeedly-spooch earlier today, only not exactly. This time it hurt beyond description, pain flowing through his veins as easily as blood. His body continued to descend, lower and lower, as if it was the most natural thing in the universe.

Zim struggled to open his eyes, even though his entire body reacted negatively to it. Squinting, he finally saw Dib: his unconscious body floated only a few feet below Zim. He wasn’t fighting to breathe or escape; just floating, like a rag doll. The fire inside him intensified, seeing Dib, the Dib that was usually lively and strong and ambitious, was painful, so painful that Zim almost forgot he was surrounded by water.

He propelled his body further down, reaching to grab his Dib. Zim slightly wondered if he would last enough to bring them both to the surface. Blood was pouring out of his mouth, every pore of his body screamed in agony, his flesh burned, his uniform was disintegrating, his eyes produced liquids of their own, his pak, after failing to engage his body in defense mode, had short-circuited once the water invaded his mechanics.

Everything hurt. Everything was pain. Everything was going to kill him, sooner or later. Everything, everything, everything.

And still, and despite that, and even though…

Zim reached out to Dib.

With his pak on sleep mode, Zim now acted purely on instinct. And it was instinct that made him grab Dib’s coat sleeve, bring their bodies together, wrap his arms around the human’s torso. Instinct made him embrace Dib like he had never embraced anyone before, and for a moment, a singular, fleeting moment… the pain disappeared. And they were all that was left.

With his last ounce of strength, Zim arched his back, swimming towards the surface. Dib was heavy, heavier than he looked, but Zim didn’t care; as long as Dib was going to survive, nothing else mattered. Not Tak, not his Tallest, not the Irken Empire- as long as Dib was breathing and searching and fighting, everything was going to be okay.

With one last arch, Zim hit the surface. He dragged Dib’s body towards the pier. With one hand holding onto the ledge and the other one around the human, Zim made one last effort and threw both of them on the wooden surface. The fall instantly caused a reaction to his body. Sensing the lack of danger, Zim’s pack re-activated himself.

Zim’s scream was heard light-years into space.

His body was aching in pain, convulsing similar to the incident that morning. But not exactly. Pain was the only thing he felt; he tasted it, smelled it, felt it from the tips of his antennas to the pointy toes on his feet. He saw white and black and blue, and the memories contained in his pak filled his head: Dib at school, Dib at home, Dib in space, Dib in front of his house, Dib in his base, Dib in the park, Dib in the water, Dib on the pier.

With the corner of his eye, Zim spotted Dib lying right next to him. Not breathing. Not anything. With a helpless yelp, Zim closed his eyes. He heard hurried footsteps, but that didn’t matter anymore. A flash of white, and everything was black.
~*~*~*~*~

I://Re-locate missing files

In://Re-program auxiliary requirements

T://Re-install program

Z://Re-start system Y/N

Z://Y

Z://System start-up in 5… 4… 3… 2… 1

Z://System start-up successful

Zim groaned softly. It was warm and nice and he didn’t want to open his eyes, but someone, something familiar, kept repeating his name, over and over again, so he had to open at least one eye, which he did, though hesitantly.

“Zim!”

Dib clutched the alien to his chest, finally allowing his tears to fall freely. Zim was alive! Zim was alive, and that was all that mattered.

“Ugh… Stinkbeast.”

“Yeah, it’s me…", he replied. There was a glint in his eyes that Zim couldn’t quite place, but Dib was warm and nice and Zim needed to recharge.

“Zim’ll sleep now…”

“Is… are you allright?” Dib asked concerned, still holding Zim close to him.

“Yes, Dib. Zim is… Zim is okay.”