Invader Zim - Lost Chronicles of Doom! - Continuous Novel

Chapter Forty-Three - Other Way Around

(Has anyone noticed how weird it is that we [probably just Americans? maybe those in England?] spell 40 like forty and not fourty? I keep wanting to say fourty-three. But it's not spelled with a "u"...) (I honestly don't know what the heck I'm doing with this chapter. HA. I don't. Even. KNOW.)

"What the flipping heck, Zim?!" Tak screeched angrily. It was dark in the room, and growing increasingly hot as the fire tried to blast its way through the metal door. "WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?!"

Zim's breathing was shallow and the deep gash in his chest was still oozing with blood, but he had a devilish grin of satisfaction all over his pale green face. "Victory," he said, his voice raspy. "I couldn't let the Dib win, could Zim?"

"YOU COULD'VE NOT NEARLY KILLED US ALL!" Dib shouted from the corner of the room. The scar across his face the Gris gave him was still hurting, and the pain was getting worse. His black lab coat had scorch marks all over it and one of the sleeves were missing because of it ripping when Tak had hastily pulled him into the safe room.

"Correction: Nearly killed you, Dib-worm."

Dib grimaced at Zim, but felt a bit of his scar break open at the top. Gasping with pain, he held his hand up to stifle the bleeding yet again. "Ow.... WAIT!" he suddenly yelped, paling. "What about Gaz?! Did you get her?! She's tough, but you know she can't punch fire!"

Zim laughed weakly. "Punching fire, haha, that's a good one... 'Ey, next thing ya know it'll be bleeding to death from the daggers in your chest." He gave a wheezing chortle, his chest looking like it was painted the color of Irken blood. "Oh--o-oh, wait... ... Hahah I guess that already happened."

Tak slowly looked to Dib, her face showing an expression of half surprise, half disgust. "He's daft," she muttered, looking at the Irken who was now curled up in a ball, moaning in misery. "Dib, can you please explain?"

"Hey, he tried to dissect me. DISSECT ME!" Dib yelled defensively. Tak wasn't going to haunt him with the weight of guilt. He only did it in self defense. It was not his fault.

"Still y'r fault," Zim murmured. "S-somebody get a--healing thing....."

"Zim!" Dib groaned, irritated by his sudden stupidity. Stupidity that you caused by stabbing him, genius... Shut up, guilty conscious... "We can't get you any doctors, we're stuck in a room with fire all around!"

"Shut up, shut up." Tak growled, getting a headache. "Do you really think screaming is gonna help? You're both about to die and you're STILL bickering?"

"Haha, well, at least we aren't players like you," said Zim. "Kissing Zim, dating Dib... why don't you go hug Skoodge while you're at it?"

"Daft..." Tak repeated, blushing and crossing her arms.

"Actually, he's pretty spot on," Dib remarked with a smirk.

"Then you're daft, too. Get in a straitjacket, Dib."

Though the insult was mean, Dib and Tak both erupted into laughter, and after a while Zim joined too. "Hahaha... what are we laughing about, again?" he asked. Which made them laugh even harder. That is, until Zim blacked out and Dib looked like he was about to as well.

"We're gonna die in here if we don't get help soon..." Tak groaned, the laughter leaving her faster than lightning.

■■■■

"There you go, Professor Membrane. All the fire's gone out," said a fireman, smiling up at the Professor.

"Um, okay..." Membrane replied, unable to know what to say besides that. There you go, Professor Membrane. The fire's out. Now go restart your life: New kids, get a spouse, a building, maybe even a new job....