Insane - An Invader Zim AU

An annoying shadow

Zim woke up, feeling something warm and heavy on top of him. GIR stared down at him, his wide blue glass eyes staring down at him. "Good morning Mastah!" GIR practically yelled in his face. "You want waffles!?"

"GIR, didn't Zim say no more making your own food?" Zim sat up, GIR tumbling off of his chest and sitting on his legs. GIR was holding a piece of soaking wet crumpled up piece of paper. "...What is that?" Zim picked GIR up and put him on the floor, sliding his legs off the bed and standing up.

"A waffle!" GIR said, sticking out his small mechanical tongue at Zim in a little blep. "Do you like it?" Zim frowned, looking down at GIR. GIR looked proud of himself which confused Zim, it was nothing but a piece of paper that was soaked with water, what was so special about it? Zim stared at GIR's outstretched hand and smiled slightly.

"Of course Zim does," Zim said and took the paper from GIR, smiling down at him. "It is wonderful, GIR" He put the soggy piece of paper on his desk and left it there as he got ready for school. Zim got dressed in his usual clothes, the somewhat formal attire that he always wore. 

When he was done he waved goodbye to GIR, turning off his light and grabbing his bag from beside his desk and put it on his back. He walked downstairs, greeting his father who was at the kitchen table, reading the newspaper.

"It's rainy out today, Zim. Make sure to grab an umbrella on your way out." He said and Zim nodded, grabbing a piece of toast and walking to the front door. He grabbed an umbrella and waved goodbye to his father. "Have a good day, son! And stay away from that Dib kid, okay?"

Zim said he would, though he was never near Dib to begin with. Dib had always found some way to get to him, whether it was sliding notes into his locker or flat out telling him he was an alien to his face. Zim had no idea where the idea came from, other than Zim's lack of fingers. He was born with only three fingers on each hand, no one was quite sure why, but that didn't stop Zim.

When Zim got to school he immediately saw Dib at the entrance waiting for Zim. Beside Dib was his sister, Gaz. Zim rather liked Gaz, she didn't believe a word Dib said for one. She wasn't as loud and annoying as Dib either. Though they were a grade apart, the times Zim had spent with her were pleasant. It was mostly her just playing on the game console she loved so much, which Zim didn't mind.

He remembered that day that he had to sit next to Gaz, it was in the principal's office when Dib had done something particularly bad to Zim. Gaz had been called as a witness but she didn't say much, only that Dib was obsessed with the idea of Zim being an alien.

Zim was torn from his thoughts as Dib tripped him on the stairs leading up to the entrance, Zim glaring up at him from the ground.

"What? Are you going to kill me with your alien tentacles or something?" Dib taunted, though he made it sound like an insult, Zim wasn't exactly hurt by it. Gaz glanced at him and nodded, Zim returning the small greeting. Zim stood and turned to Dib, ignoring the other students that walked around them.

"Why do you do this, Dib-thing?" Zim asked plainly, Dib looking slightly annoyed that Zim didn't just run off. "Why can't you just leave Zim be?"

Dib scoffed. "Because you're an alien! You should be tested on- you're going to take over Earth!" Dib said. Zim sighed, rubbing his hand over his face feeling tired of Dib's accusations. "I won't stop until you're dead!"

Zim froze, as did some other students nearby. "What? You're crazy, Dib!" Some student said, bumping past Dib. "Yeah- Leave Zim alone!" Zim was sort of pleased by his classmate's support, though he knew none of them well.

"Whatever! I'll show you all!" Dib yelled as he stomped off into the school. Zim watched him go as the bell rang, Gaz waving goodbye as she walked inside as well. Zim followed suit, walking to his class.

After class had finished Zim walked outside, his father had been right. It was raining. Zim hated the rain, it was wet and annoying. Dib walked up next to him and gave him a cruel smile.

"What's the matter, Zim ? Scared of rain?" Dib asked and Zim rolled his eyes, taking an umbrella out of his bag and opening it in Dib's face. The umbrella hit Dib square in the face and he cursed. "Ow! You'll pay for that, spaceboy."

"Good luck with that," Zim said sarcastically, walking away from Dib. "Goodbye, Dib-thing" Zim started walking to his house, hearing Dib splash through the puddles behind him.

"Dib! Dad's gonna be pissed if you come home soaking wet!" Zim heard Gaz say from under the school's overhang. "Get over here under the umbrella, you idiot!"

"You don't know what you're talking about Gaz! I need to follow Zim to his 'house'." Dib said, Zim looking back at him.

" What? " Zim said, looking confused. "Zim can hear the Dib-thing you know! You will not follow Zim to his home." Zim watched Dib stomp after him, getting soaking wet in the process. Gaz looked annoyed as she walked to the Membrane household, Dib still following Zim.

"I'll find out what you're hiding, Zim, " Dib said, making threats all the way to Zim's house. "I'll get rid of yo-" Zim slammed the front door in Dib's face, ignoring his classmate's protests. "I'll get you someday, Zim! Someday!"

Zim sighed, sliding down the door and sitting on the floor silently until GIR ran down the stairs and crashed into him with a hug. "Hello, GIR" Zim said with a smile as GIR rubbed his head against Zim's cheek. "What did you do while Zim was gone?"

He set GIR on the ground, only half listening as GIR talked to Zim about what he had done that day. "And then I found a dog and-" Zim looked taken aback, a dog? They didn't own a dog.

"Where did you find a dog, GIR?" Zim asked, mildly alarmed. "You didn't go outside, did you?" GIR shook his head, starting a completely different topic about the pizza he made. Zim decided to drop it, the robot now able to focus on anything for more than a second.

Zim walked up the stairs to his room, GIR following him cheerfully. Zim sat down at his desk in his room and watched as GIR jumped on his bed while spinning around, waving at Zim excitedly. "GIR," Zim said, and GIR stopped jumping, staring at Zim for a moment. "You remember when Zim said to tell him if the Dib-Thing showed up at the house, yes?" GIR nodded.

"Why is his head so biggg?" GIR asked and Zim reached over and pat GIR's head.

"A valid question, GIR." Zim thought for a moment, "Perhaps it's because of all that useless paranormal stuff that he's obsessed with." GIR nodded, mindlessly agreeing with him.

Zim's parents weren't home and that meant that Zim had the house to himself. Usually, on the days that Zim's parents were out, Zim would take GIR for a walk in the park, he had GIR put on a doggy onesie so people like Dib wouldn't follow them around and ask questions.

Zim clipped a leash onto GIR's disguise collar and marched him out the door, letting the robot explore as they walked to the park. He knew almost immediately that Dib was following him, the satisfying click of Zim's boots on the pavement interrupted by the dragging of Dib's sneakers.

"Hello, Dib-thing," Zim said, looking over his shoulder at Dib who was mid sneak. Dib straightened and frowned.

"How did you know I was following you?" Dib asked and squinted at him. "Do you have good antennae hearing or something, like a bug? Zim rolled his eyes and turned to GIR who was running ahead but toppled over when the leash stopped him.

"You are very loud, Dib-thing," Zim said, turning back around and ignoring Dib as he started asking questions about GIR. "He is a very rare breed, do not ask questions." Dib narrowed his eyes at GIR.

"He's dumb," Dib said and Zim turned around, Dib almost bumping into him. "Hey-"

"GIR is not dumb," Zim said firmly, Dib looking a bit surprised. "He is far more intelligent than you." Dib opened his mouth to make some retort but stopped as his phone buzzed, making some comment and walking off as he picked up the phone. Zim sighed and walked with GIR to the park, looking back to seeing Dib run off the other way.

"You are not dumb, GIR," Zim said to GIR who wasn't paying attention. "Don't listen to him." He let GIR off of his leash, letting him run rampage and gather data about the park, though Zim doubted GIR would use any of the knowledge for anything useful.

They stayed at the park for a few hours until Zim's mother called him and told him to get home for dinner. On Zim's way back, he didn't once see Dib.