Operation: Incentive - Invader Zim fanfic (ZADF)

Ideas.

The bell rang for lunch, and Zim was pleased to hear it. The lesson had dragged on for far too long, especially with the Dib-stink leering at him continously.

With his arms tucked behind his back, he marched out of the classroom, leaving Dib behind, lonely in his seat. The thought of Dib in solitude caused a swell of joy, and he strided forward with renewed vigour. 

Lunch was always a chaotic period for the Irken, though, and today was no exception. Was he to take the beans and deal with the pain, or leave them and risk looking inhuman? Was he to sit alone without friends in his bubble of peace, or attempt conversation to blend in more?

Normally, he favoured the seat behind wherever the Dib sat, for at least that way he could be observed. Zim decided to follow this routine, and sat down behind the Dib-worm with a plate full to burst with vegetables and ham. He recoiled at the smell, but certain safety measures had to be taken. Simple Invader 101, he thought, as he poked the limp carrots with a knife. 

He turned around, and peeked at his nemesis. The Dib did not seem to be enjoying his lunch either, Zim thought with relish. Instead, the little Urth worm baby was deep in a one sided conversation with his sister, the Gaz.

Zim shivered. He did not like the Gaz. Of course, he wasn't afraid! He could best any human easily! But the girl had always unsettled him.

He shifted his seat a little backwards, to better overhear the words of the Dib. 

"Gaz, this plan is going to be perfect! I've figured nearly everything out... And I think I know why he has such a reaction to rainwater! It has a pH value on average of 5.4..."

Zim smiled to himself as the Dib carried on his tirade. It had to be admitted that his plans were orchastrated finely, but it was those plans that were the most fragile in the end. Dib definetely had a limitless well of creativity and drive, and it was no doubt that he would keep coming back with a vengeance for as long as Zim was undefeated. 

But where did the drive come from? From where did he draw the seemingly endless power to fight back? Why wouldn't the little worm just give up? Truth be told, Dib's ingenuity just motivated Zim to work harder than ever before. 

A ploy started to form in his head. If he could stop whatever it was that Dib fought for, then maybe, just maybe he could stop Dib.

He pulled out his notebook and wrote with amazing precision: Operation: Incentives. 

He underlined it three times. 

He swung his chair in a 180 degree spin and tapped lightly on the Dib-Stink's shoulder. Dib turned around so fast that he appeared to crick his neck. Rubbing it gently, he looked Zim over, perhaps looking for some kind of change since last lesson.

"Zim! What do you want?"

"What is your incentive to fight me?" 

Dib looked shocked by this sudden question, and stared at him as if he was mad.

"What do you mean, what's my incentive? Isn't trying to protect my species incentive enough??? And don't touch me, spaceboy."

Shooting a final disgusted look at Zim, he turned back to Gaz, but he dropped his voice to a whisper, so Zim could no longer hear what he had in store for him, but he thought he caught the phrase, "I think Zim needs to be euthanized..."

Zim turned back and thought to himself, "That was easy." 

The Dib had given up his cause with a single tap on the shoulder! He must have been scared of the superior fingers of ZIM, he told himself. Did the Urth worm babies not appreciate the power of knowledge, and knowing your opponent's reasoning? Alas, that may be a good thing, as now the great Invader Zim had a powerful tool. He thought over Dib's wording.

Isn't protecting my species incentive enough?

Protecting my species.

My species.

Zim had an idea.