Double Crossed (Invader Zim)

Chapter 9

(Zim's P.O.V)

---

Ten minutes after our conversation, Dib is asleep. He's laying down, arms splayed out behind him, legs still dangling from the cliff edge. He doesn't seem to notice that he's a few scootches away from death. He looks so peaceful.

I push myself up and walk to the tree behind us. Quickly scaling it, I sit on one of the branches, gazing out at the town. Humans are lucky. I was all wrong this whole time. The Earth is beautiful in its own way. I was blinded by devotion to my mission. But now I'm not even sure I want to continue the mission. It would be double crossing Dib, and it would be unfair for me to do it if I'd thought he double crossed me by exposing me. But now, he's working with me to save me. If that isn't something to trust, I don't know what is.

The feeling that I'd gotten last night had come back earlier, when Dib and I were talking on the ledge. I hadn't brought it up today, because I thought it would sound like I didn't trust him. But now I think I should say something. Of course, he's asleep now, but once he's awake I'll bring it up.

For now, though, I let the silence relax me until my eyes grow heavy, with the big branches of the tree hiding me as I drift off into sleep.

---

"Zim! Zim! Where are you?" Dib screaming wakes me suddenly. I can hear him running around, and his breathing is heavy. I jump down from the tree, landing on the ground with a hard thump.

"What happened? Is there-"

Dib squeezes my shoulders hard. "You scared the shit out of me, Zim! Oh, god, I thought they got you," he pants. He's clearly out of breath from all the yelling.

So much for the relaxing silence.

"I was just up in the tree. Everything is fine."

Dib sighs. "Alright. Well, where should we try searching now?"

I raise an eyebrow. "Did you already forget?" I ask. If he was one of the smart ones, the human race was doomed.

"Uh... What? I don't remember you saying anything about searching some- oh. Oooooh," Dib groans, slapping his forehead.

"What?"

"You must have said that during your little idea speech last night," Dib says awkwardly. "I, um... I wasn't listening. My mind was racing."

"Ugh, you are insufferable," I scoff. "I said we should check the human military base. If anyone would know about me, it would be them."

At the mention of the military base, Dib sucks in a sharp breath of air. "We may not be able to do that so easily," he laughs awkwardly, crossing his arms.

"What did you do?"

"What? What do you mean, I'm totally... Ugh, fuck it, I got a cease and desist for bugging them too much."

"Of course you did," I mutter. "Alright, we'll break in at night then. Simple. Just a minor hiccup."

"Zim, it's a military base! If we get caught, not only will we be arrested, but you'll probably also get captured and killed," Dib panics.

With one swift motion, my spider legs shoot out of my Pak. "I don't think you're giving me enough credit for my stealth skills. And, I can use two of these to move around, and two to carry you. There. Done."

Dib stares at me in disbelief. "You're not going to let me talk you out of this, are you?" he sighs.

"Definitely not."

---

(Dib's P.O.V)

Reluctantly, I walk down the hill and into town. We were waiting for night time, and it was almost 5 p.m now. Understandably, I'd gotten very hungry, y'know, having not eaten for over 24 hours.

I walk into the store and grab a few things that would stay fresh and last for awhile. We still have 19 days, and I don't know how much of that time will be spent on the hill, or otherwise away from the town.

I place my stuff on the counter and the cashier starts to scan everything.

"So, you're that Dib kid, huh?" Great, he knows me too. Probably from my annoying runs around town trying to save humanity, or-

"Professor Membrane is your dad, right?" he asks, placing some of the food in a bag. Not quite what I was thinking, but at least if he's heard anything embarrassing about me, he isn't saying it. "Did you hear about the new research he's doing? I mean, I'm sure you have, he's your dad, but I mean, I just find his work so interesting, so-"

"Alright! See you later," I cut him off as soon as everything is payed for. I grab the bag and speed walk out the door. Geez, and people call me annoying. I can almost understand why Zim wanted to destroy the Earth.

Wait, does he still? Has he changed his mind? Or will he still try to continue his mission? Of course, my first thought is that we're friends now, and that he wouldn't do that. But then again, it is a mission from his leaders. Would he disobey them just for some human?

When I break out of my thoughts, I'm almost at the top of the hill. The top of the tree pokes out from behind the edge of the grass, and I can see Zim sitting on the higher branches. He looks deep in thought, and doesn't notice me walking up the hill.

"Zim," I call out. His head turns at the mention of his name. "I'm back," I call up to him, pulling out a bag of candy. "I bought you some-"

"Fun dip," Zim shrieks, landing hard in front of me and ripping the package from my hands. My arms hang in the air for a second, startled at how fast he'd jumped down, and how close he'd landed to me.

"Yeah. Fun dip. It's the only human food I've seen you eat, other than waffles, and we can't cook those out here." I decided it would be nice to get something for Zim. He's going through a lot of shit right now.

But he looks so happy with his candy, he's almost dancing. It's silly, yeah, but he looks so childish and adorable that I can't help but laugh. I've just accepted by now that these feelings aren't going to go away. And to be honest? It's the best feeling ever, even though I know we'll never end up together.