Dimensional Scope
part four"You're pathetic," Gaz commented, never lifting her gaze from her Game Slave 2, as she and her brother sat on a bench during recess. They'd been sitting for more than half the time, her getting twelve levels up in her latest game "Zombie Moose Doom" and Dib looking every which way for his green-skinned target. The "alien" hadn't shown up for skool that day, leaving fears and doubts running through the eldest Membrane child's head.
"Maybe he's planning some kind of mass hypnotism to trick humanity into obeying his will," Dib thought, speaking out loud his paranoid thoughts. "I know you think I'm crazy, Gaz, but I know something weird is going to happen and it's going to be Zim behind it. I'm sure of it."
"The only thing weird around here, Dib, is you. Now leave me alone before I decide to destroy you."
Dib scrunched his face is disapproval. After all she'd seen, his lab, his horrible alien body, the floating spaceship orbiting earth, how could she still doubt Zim's evil intent? He sighed, chewing on his bottom lip. If only he didn't have to finish the skool day. Why couldn't Zim wait to do things when he wasn't already busy? He'd have to sneak by Zim's house for sure after skool with some surveillance equipment, he figured, just to make sure he was prepared for whatever the alien would throw at him this time.
"DIB!"
His head snapped in the direction of the voice, his eyes focusing on the lone body that perched on the top of the monkey bars with a menacing scowl.
"This is it, Dib!" the alien began. "I'm calling you out!"
Dib arched his eyes quizzically. "I'm already outside."
"SILENCE!"
Zim leapt from the monkey bars to the asphalt playground, landing on a hopscotch outline with his feet firmly planted on the 3 and 4. "I've had enough of this childish squabbling! This will end NOW! Well, not now, but TODAY!" he shouted.
"You're challenging me?"
"I do not challenge. I DEMAND!" Zim stepped closer, his shadow engulfing Dib as the sunlight gave him an unworldly glow. "No more tricks, human," he whispered, so only the two of them would hear. "No more sneaking around and no more worthless competition. Just you and me. I believe you wretched beasts call it a duel." His thick jade lips pulled back to reveal a white, feral smile.
Earlier that day, Zim left his bedroom feeling sticky and tired, not having slept much at all since the nightmares had begun. His eyes felt gritty. The very idea of covering the sensitive retinas with the foul contact lenses made his head ache more. He couldn't take it anymore. The dimensional scope had planted the seeds of betrayal in his own mind, making him wince and feel every want and pull that drove the thoughts to focus and his mind into insanity. How could this be? Feelings...for a human? Not any human, but DIB? Sworn enemy of the superior being he was! It could not be!
"Goooood mooooorrrrnniiiinnnggg!"
Zim winced even before two robotic arms wrapped around him in a cold metal hug that was much tighter than comfort allowed.
"Can we make waffles?" Gir asked, pulling away from his master and leaping towards the couch. "I'm so hungry."
"No, Gir. We cannot make waffles. I have to go to skool," Zim muttered, not feeling up to it in the slightest.
"But I love waffles," Gir purred. "Almost as much as I love you!"
"INVADERS DO NOT NEED LOVE!"
The "advanced" SIR unit jumped, startled, but without the brainpower to know when to leave it be. "I think somebody needs another huug!"
Zim would have ripped out his hair had he had any. "No Gir! No hugs! No waffles! No love! Invaders do not require emotion! We do not require friendship! We do not require anything or anyone!" He spoke the last in a rush, not sure why he felt the need to continue his rant. "And invaders certainly do not need foolish humans meddling in their hearts...minds...SCHEMES!"
Gir smiled. "This is just like on 'Nights of our Lives!' Timmy wants to go out with Ronda but Timmy isn't sure if-"
"That's enough, Gir." Zim shook his head, the headache he'd already had exploding to new levels. "Why don't you watch more TV or eat some filthy earth cereal in the cold box thing?"
"-But Ronda used to do baaad things and it hurt Timmy's feelings! And Ronda and Timmy had a BIG fight and Timmy realized she was a good person even if she did bad things sometimes and they kissed and were happy the end!" Gir said, his tongue sticking out between his chrome lips.
"Oooohh!" Zim raised his fists to smack the stupid robot but stopped in mid battle cry. "Yes...that's it…"
Gir's stupid expression followed Zim into the kitchen where the Irkin opened a bag of food from his own planet and began eating.
"Don't you see, Gir? It's the reason I've let these images and thoughts get to me! That stupid earth monkey is my worthy adversary, almost my EQUAL! His skills and constant thwarting of my plans have almost granted him respect in my mind! I've been thinking about him as if he were WORTHY of such emotions!" Zim laid his food down on the counter, wiping at his mouth. "If I defeat him once and for all, he will no longer be my equal. I will be the superior being once more!"
"Hurrah!" Gir cheered. "And we'll go out for tacos to celebrate!"
"Yes, Gir. We shall have tacos." Zim pounded his closed fist on the counter. "But first, how shall I defeat Dib? I must be fair if I'm to be satisfied." He began to rap his fingers across the hard surface, biting on his tongue in thought.
Gir looked around at the ceiling, the floor, the walls, and finally gave a small yawn before saying anything in response. "I saw two guys fight in a movie one time."
Zim shook his head. "Good work, Gir. I'm afraid that you've maxed your quota on helpfulness this week. Go back to doing whatever stupid things you do when I'm away."
"I'm gonna make waffles!"
The SIR unit scrambled off into the many drawers, pulling out things with gleeful yips and yaps. Zim looked away and flushed himself to his lab before he was tempted to dismantle the robot.
In the lab he took a seat on the tall comfy chair. "Computer, run a scan on popular earth battling styles and compare to known Irkin types. Display all similarities and list the top ten compatible styles."
The computer was silent for a moment, then lit the screen with numbers and pictures, filing through the archives within seconds and leaving the desired data for review on the screen. "Compatible list compiled. Direct match found."
"Direct match?" Zim's eyes widened in surprise as he clicked the flashing text that displayed the supplied information.
Dueling, or The Ranmat in Irkin. Designed for two people, standing back to back; both take ten paces forward, are given the signal, then turn and fire his or her weapon. Winner lives, looser dies. Warning: do not try this at home.
Zim scratched his chin, "The Ranmat...it seems very fair. And I can get Gir to signal. Hmm...." A far cry in the back of his mind tried to remind him that he didn't want to kill Dib, but it was far too distant from the immediate cry to end the haunting visions.
Presently, Dib stared into Zim's eyes, his mind screaming one thing while his pride bellowed another. In the end, the same force won out in both.
"I accept."