To Which Our Future Holds (A ZaDr Story)

Chapter 24

Dib sat down on the bench next to Lizzy as Zim and Ash ran off at the park. The park was surprisingly busy today, several young children ran around the park while parents sat at benches or tables talking with one another. By the looks of it Dib assumed that it was perhaps a friendly get-together the parents had planned as a way to catch up while their children played. Ash stopped and turned to his dad, pointing to the swings "Can we go play now?" He begged, dragging out his words.  Dib nodded "Yep, go have fun!" Dib watched as the two ran off together, a somber smile on his face.
Zim was wearing his classic pink uniform with black boots and gloves, and Ash was wearing shorts and a light blue shirt that had 'I 🤍 Urth' written on its front. Zim held onto Ash's hand and pulled him along with an enthusiastic grin.
Lizzy smiled as she watched them run off "I'm glad that Ash and Zim were able to get along and become friends" she said aloud. Dib watched as Zim helped Ash onto a swing, a contemplative look on his face "I'm actually surprised that Zim even acknowledges Ash in the first place." Lizzy gave her husband a confused side glance. "Why is that?" She asked him. Turning to Lizzy Dib arched a brow, "Well how was he when he first met you?" Lizzy looked off to the side and bit her lip in silence before turning back to Dib. "Well, he was just curled up in the corner and yelled at me, ether accusing me of something or hiding and avoiding to talk to me." Dib seemed to stare at her in shock. "That's nicer than he treated me." Dib muttered his voice barely audible under his breath.
Lizzy tilted her head "What?" She asked not catching what her husband had said. Dib waved her off "That's beside the point, what I'm trying to get at is that Zim doesn't usually get along with people, so I'm just surprised that he gets off so well with Ash, that's all." Lizzy looked at her husband then looked back at the park where Zim stood, pushing Ash on one of the swings. "I guess that makes sense, maybe he just needed someone closer to his age?" She offered cheerfully. Dib bit down on his lip and looked away "Yea... closer to his age..." Dib muttered a strange, almost sarcastic tone to his voice. Lizzy looked at her husband with a completely confused and shocked look on her face. "Why did he say it like that?" She thought as her husband's gaze fell away from her, his posture stiff.

Zim pushed Ash on the swing, the smeets cheerful laughs making Zim purr. Ash cheered again as Zim pushed him higher when Zim's attention suddenly snapped away from Ash, having caught hold of a familiar sight and scent.
Zim gripped the swing and stopped its movement as a low snarl built up in his throat. Ash turned in the swing and looked at Zim who's gaze was now locked on something else "Zim?" He asked, breaking the alien's concentration. "Why did you stop swinging? Did something bad happen?" Zim looked at Ash startled and shook his head vigorously "No of course not Ash Smeet. it's just -" Zim paused for a second glancing back to where he was looking before. "It's just that Zim has a bad feeling about that guy."
Ash followed Zim's gaze to where a man sat on a bench, his arms resting on the back, his eyes scanning over the children in a way that made Ash shiver. "Maybe we should go tell mommy and daddy." Ash said nervously looking back at Zim with a whimper. Zim looked back at Ash and nodded, a dark tone to his voice, "Yea, let's go and get your Mommy and Daddy."

Dib nodded as Lizzy talked, his attention, (for once) focused on her when suddenly he heard Zim's voice chirp angrily next to him "Oi!" Dib turned to see Zim holding Ash's hand outstretched towards him to grab "Watch your smeet" Zim commanded in a low voice. Dib stared at him puzzled, they hadn't been playing for very long and he was just talking with Lizzy about how Zim was getting along well with Ash.
"Why is something wrong?" Dib asked.
While Lizzy called over Ash who happily hopped up into her arms. Zim stared at Dib as if he was asking a question as stupid as 'was the Earth round'.
"So the smeet Snatcher doesn't get him." Zim growled in a way that was implying it was obvious. Dib leaned forward on the bench feeling more confused "Smeet Snatcher?" He questioned. "Zim what's a Smeet Snatcher?" Zim narrowed his eyes. "Someone who takes smeets" he growled. Dib paused thinking of what Zim could mean "Takes smeets? … Wait, you mean a kidnapper?" Dib panicked, as the connection was made. This however only seemed to cause Zim to become far more furious "This Has Nothing To Do With Sleeping!" He roared.
Dib waved his hands trying to calm Zim down "No Zim, a kidnapper is someone who steals children." Dib tried to explain.
Zim growled "That's a stupid thing to call someone who takes your smeets!" Dib leaned his head back and groaned "Yes Zim I get it, our customs are stupid, Yada yada yada. Get to the point. Where are they?" Zim looked at Dib and pointed across the park, his gaze never leaving Dib.
Dib's gaze followed where he pointed, then looked back at Zim with a nervous look on face "Zim.'' he said with a nervous laugh "That's an empty bench."
Zim's head snapped back in the direction he was pointing. Seeing the man gone Zim let out a horrified shriek "Where Did He Go!?"
Zim looked around frantically as he began to panic. Dib reached out a hand to Zim's turned back "Whoa hey Zim calm down" Dib tried to reason with the pannicing Irken "It's alright" he said placing his hand on Zim's shoulder.

Zim spun around in a blind fear, slashing his claws out without thinking.

Dib's eyes widened as his head was lashed sideways.

lifting his hand up slowly he brought his fingers to his now stinging cheek. Dib pulled his fingers away as they came back warm and wet, it almost didn't register to him what had happened as he stared at his glistening scarlet fingertips. "Zim?" He asked, looking up from his hands.

Zim shuddered, the panic and adrenaline still coursing through his veins. His shaking vision only seemed to focus when he saw a stream of crimson drip down Dib's cheek. "I - Zim didn't mean to" Zim whimpered, panic still heavy in his voice. Dib lifted his hands up "Hey it's alright Zim, I'm fine"
Zim tried to reach out but a shift in wind direction grabbed his attention. Zim looked into the direction of the wind as he spotted the man kneeling next to a small girl, she wore a yellow dress and had curly red pigtails. Zim Let out a low deep snarl as he turned towards him.
Ash let out a scared whimper as he saw who Zim was looking at. "Daddy that's the smeet Snatcher he's scarry!" He cried as he hugged onto his mother. Lizzy and Dib both turned their immediate focus to Ash trying to calm him down. Which unbeknownst to them, had allowed Zim to march towards the man, a wicked snarl on his tongue "I've got a bone to pick with that guy." He hissed.
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