Double Crossed (Invader Zim)

Chapter 1

(Dib's P.O.V)

---

It's been awhile since I've seen this door. The way that its purple contrasted so horribly against the cyan of the walls. Usually it disgusted me, but it was comforting to finally see it again, after almost a month of keeping away. I knock on the door, despite wanting to bash it down and see him as soon as possible.

"It's open." The familiar voice comes from inside, though it sounds sadder than usual.I turn the knob, throw the door open, and jump inside, all in one move. Zim is on the couch, looking pudgy, and wearing a robe and slippers. He turns to his little robot. "Close the door, Gir. You're letting out my new sick couch smell."

Ignoring his attire, I point at him excitedly. "I'm back, Zim! And I've renewed my pledge to expose you as the alien menace you are! Get up and face me!"

Zim's bug-like eyes shift to look at me, and he pushes himself off of the couch. He stands in front of me, staring in disbelief. "Dib? Is that you? Is it... really you?" A little smile escapes from him. "You're back to your old self?"

"I sure am you ugly space monster," I say happily.

"You have no idea how happy that makes me you revolting worm!" Zim's hands ball into fists and he shakes them happily. The sight makes me giddy. It's all going back to normal! Almost as if to emphasize this, Zim rips off his messy clothes to reveal his Invader outfit, and somehow cleans up his entire base in the process as well.

Despite myself, I scream happily, pumping my fist in the air. Zim pulls a remote control out from behind his back and clicks a button.

"I'm gonna destroy you now!"

I float into the air as a bubble encases me. "Yeah, you just try!"

The bubble follows Zim, and despite the sphere around me, his voice is clear as he almost sings, 

"I'm going to liquefy your organs!"

"Hah! I'd like to see that!" An elevator opens up in front of us, under one of Zim's chair.

"You're as smelly as I remember," Zim chirps.

"You're green and ugly," I counter happily.

"You're a human stink-beast!"

"You're from outer space!"

"What do you call that, a face? You're a human pig smelly!"

"And you're dummy dumbs!"

"Stink-beast! You're as stupid as ever!"

"You're stupider than I am!"

"You're smelly"

"You're stinkies!"

"You're pig dookies!"

"You're dookie pies!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Dookie!"

"Dookie-do!"

"Dookie back atchoo!"

"Double dooks!"

"Smelly human stink-beast!"

We keep yelling insults at each other, the names getting dumber, and us getting giddier as we go down the elevator. It's better this way. Sure, Zim is still trying to conquer Earth, but at least I get to be there to stop him. At least I wasn't doing that boring real science. At least we were happy.

---

The next day at skool, everything seemed happier. Even the run-down look of the class looked just a little bit better. I walked into the class to see Zim, finally back after weeks of absence. I walk to my desk, all the way on the other side of the class. My stomach flips a little bit. I can't miss him already. It's only been a few hours.

Zim doesn't seem to be paying attention, as usual, but today it bugs me for some reason. Maybe we were separated for so long that I'm not used to being apart after our reunion. I'll get used to it in a few days.

Probably.

Ms. Bitters starts the lecture for today, but I can't pay attention. My mind keeps wandering. My eyes keep zipping around. Usually to Zim, who isn't paying attention either. After a few minutes something seems to catch his ear (or anntennae, I guess) and he raises his hand to ask something. I can't hear what he's saying, my ears are buzzing.

---

At recess, Zim is in the corner of the playground, tinkering with some device. Reluctantly, I walk up and sit next to him. He doesn't acknowledge me.

"Um... What's that?" I ask. He seems to finally notice me next to him, and lifts the device so I can see it clearly.

"It's an expansion I've been working on for my Pak." For a second, I don't register what he said. I wasn't expecting an actual answer. "It will allow me to travel through time if I so require it."

"How do you add it into your Pak?" The machine didn't have a visible USB port or anything like that.

"I simply need to download it's information into my intellectual storage," Zim answered matter-of-factly, as if it were obvious. As if demonstrating, an arm reached out of his Pak and grabbed the device out if Zim's hand, then retreated back into the hole it emerged from.

"Did it work?" I ask. I hadn't heard any sounds that indicated it had processed the information.

"Of course. Why wouldn't my brilliant handiwork be successful?" Zim smiles proudly, and my stomach flips again.

Before I can question myself, the bell rings and Zim heads inside, leaving me confused, crouching on the dying grass.