Double Crossed (Invader Zim)

Chapter 16

The noise quiets down as I turn in to another hallway. No one is down this way. Only me. There's a singular door at the end of the hall. It seems too simple to be what I'm looking for, like a solution in some sort of movie or book, but I may as well take a look.

Unlike the other doors, there are no windows or signs on this door, which begs the question; do I risk opening the door and being caught in an area I'm not supposed to be in, or do I search farther for another room that is definitely what I'm looking for? This place is full of untrustworthy decisions, but I have to remind myself that Zim's life is what's on the line here, which is more important than anything I've ever tried to do before.

When I turn the handle, the movement is smooth. It's definitely used a lot. This room is obviously important. I don;t hear any sound coming from inside that indicates there's someone in there, but nonetheless, I push the door open as silently as I can.

"Don't bother." A voice comes from inside, sounding hopeless. "I know you're here."

I've never been so happy to have been heard sneaking around. I close the door behind me and run up to the autopsy table. "Zim!"

He looks up at me, but not as happy as I would've liked. "Oh. You." His tone is bland, even angry.

"What? What's wrong Zim? I'm here to get you out!" I try to evoke some reaction from him.

"Last I checked, you didn't want me out of here," Zim growls, finally showing something other than the blank state I'd found him in. "In fact, you were the one that suggested I was brought here." He turns his head, cheeks blue, eyes watering. "I though you cared. I did."

"Zim, no! It was the only way to keep you alive, I... I had to think quick!"

"Forcing me onto an autopsy table doesn't exactly keep me alive, Dib-stink," Zim grumbles. I nearly tear up at the nickname. He'd degraded me back to the rank of any other human. I'm not Dib to him anymore. I'm not special to him anymore. Now I was just one more obstacle.

"No, Zim! I still care! I... I still love you," I mumble, fearing that raising my voice any more will cause me to break down. "I couldn't think of any other way, I had to make sure they didn't just leave you to die."

"Whatever," Zim mutters, back to his emotionless state. "In a few minutes nothing will matter anymore. The words 'I love you' are just shallow vocabulary coming from you." His antennae twitch as he turns his head to the wall.

Tears well up in my eyes. Why doesn't he believe me? I pull up my sleeve and tear off the gloves. The bandages are damp with blood. Twice now, I'd hurt myself for him. Would he care as much this time? I don't bother showing him. If he was persistent before, I'm sure that nothing will change his mind now.

Regardless, I sit next to him, waiting. Even if he doesn't believe I still care, I want to be with him for as long as possible before I'm caught.

The door opens, and I brace myself for yelling and grabbing, but instead, there's a scoff as the door closes.

"I should've known you'd like paranormal creatures more than humans."

The harsh voice has never been more welcomed.

Gaz's hair is still as perfect as always, despite the chaos outside, even though her outfit is a bit roughed up, presumably from being bumped around. "Why're you moping, you pussy?" she grunts, placing her hands on her hips.

"I'm just waiting," I answer, ignoring her insult.

One of her eyes pops open. "Waiting for what?" she asks. She seems a bit confused as to why I didn't get mad.

"Waiting to get caught. I'm going to be found eventually, so I may as well just let them come." I ball my legs up to my chest. Zim is in the middle of the room, pretending not to hear us.

"If you want to get caught, maybe I could help," Gaz says, smiling a bit.

"Be my guest."

Gaz just stands there, confused. "Why are you here anyways?" she asks after a few moments.

"I was trying to get Zim." No point in lying. Either way, I'm going to get caught, and he's going to die. "Why are you here?" I turn the question on her.

"I'm allowed in. I'm helping," she answers, shrugging.

"Helping?" I ask, skeptical. "How so?"

"I may have let it slip that Zim was an alien," Gaz answers, sounding bored. "I was gonna tease you about the pictures of Zim in your room, but Dad was the only one home, and I still wanted to bug you."

"You what?" I growl. "Gaz, you... you..." I press my hands to my forehead, trying to keep cool. Messing with Gaz isn't smart. But, all the same, this is all her fault. "How could you do that, Gaz?"

"It's not like I thought he'd actually believe me." She rolls her eyes. "I was bored."

"You were bored." I let my arms fall to my sides. "You were fucking bored?" I screech.

Gaz actually recoils a bit, though her expression doesn't change. "Well, when you were bored you cursed me with pig mouth."

"I fixed that! How do you expect to get Zim off of this fucking table, huh? There's a major fucking difference between what I've done and... this! Gaz, you... you are such an asshole!"

Just as you'd expect, Gaz gets insanely angry at me. "Do you know how long Dad has been calling you insane? I didn't think he'd believe it! No one ever believes it! You're a loser, Dib! You're a joke! Everyone thinks you're so annoying! In fact," Gaz screams, her feet lifting into the air, "I don't think anyone would care if you just disappeared."

"Go ahead!" Tears are blurring my vision now. "I don't care either!" It seemed unreasonable that Gaz would get this worked up over a few cuss words and one insult. But she has an uncontrollable temper, and, like I said, I don't care. Tears fall, but the supernatural wind coming from Gaz causes them to drag across my cheeks and fly behind me.

I don't move a muscle. I just stand there, waiting for Gaz to finish me off. If anyone would be able to kill me, it'd be her.

But I don't get the chance to sacrifice myself, because now Zim is up, in front of me, with his Pak pressed up against his chest, two gaping holes in his back. He's rifling through his Pak, looking for something. Finally, he pulls out the time device he'd used to come back and start everything.Rather than ask him why he's up- god knows I don't need to waste precious seconds waiting for that explanation- I say, "I thought that didn't work!" I have to yell over the sound of rushing wind.

Zim looks back at me. "I won't be able to use the time mechanism, but if I take out a few things, I may just be able to turn it into a molecular reposition device," he calls back, tinkering with the device, pulling out little bits that he drops, which fly behind me, smacking into the wall along with the puddle of tears that I'd left there that has stuck to the wall with the force of the wind.After another moment, which feels like an eternity, but is most likely only a second or two, Zim stops tinkering and lifts the device, pointing it at Gaz. Two wires shoot from his Pak, and it reconnects to his back.

"If this doesn't work..."