My first attempt at a semi-depressing short-story. Takes place when Dib and Zim are little, and does not coincide with my other stories at all. I hope it's at least vaguely enjoyable :)

Muahahahah! I got my hands on some POCKY! Just for YOU!!! (my readers...) Enjoy! :P

Disclaimer: I own none of these characters, none...=sniff=

Chapter 1

The glazed magenta eyes fixed his sodden and shaking frame with unmasked hatred, red-tinted malice glinting in the shadows of the unlit chamber. He took another hesitant step forward, forcing his own gaze to remain unwavering, merciless. The frigid rain-water seeped down the back of his trench coat, leaving him to shiver in the unheated, stagnant air. Unconsciously, he paused to wrap the folds tighter around him, wincing as the tough cloth pressed against the jagged scrapes lining his back.

A muted click brought him to an abrupt halt, and he felt the tiny chilly prick as the hair at the base of his neck stood on end.

"Don't come...any...closer." The raspy voice warned, strained breathing carefully masked. A gloved hand raised the malicious-looking object so it was aimed at the human's chest, gripping it so fiercely, Dib could hear the dull crackling of the black fabric as the alien's clawed fingers bent masterfully around the trigger.

"Just give it up, Zim." The boy shifted his weight to the other foot, but didn't move forward. He eyed the small alien with obvious distaste, physically displaying all signs of readiness, not an ounce of fear visible. Emotionally, however, he was not so fully intact. Something was wrong. Seriously wrong. He could feel it clawing at the back of his shambled mind. Something that set this occasion apart from all others, a dark, dangerous something. His inner voice was screaming that much, leaving him feeling not only deeply confused, but slightly frightened as well. He shifted his gaze from that of his crouching nemesis to the slick floor. Pools of shimmery liquid could be seen as far as the doorway. Deep red and purplish puddles. Mainly purple ones...

"Drop the gun, Zim. Before you pass out and I grab it anyway."

"Never. I will never surrender to the likes of you, human." His arm was beginning to shake, but he didn't relinquish the weapon, or take his eyes off the boy standing before him.

Dib sighed. This was going absolutely nowhere. And he himself was beginning to feel vaguely dizzy. He held his arms up, in a peaceful gesture. "Look, what's this about anyway? I've never seen you this furious before..."

"I already told you that it doesn't concern you. So do us both a favor and LEAVE!"

Dib smirked. "With you so vulnerable? I think not. Do you honestly expect me to fall for your latest pathetic little plot? To shed my absolute hatred of you like I will this wet coat once I get home? Huh? I certainly hope not, Zim. Because that would be too pathetic, even for you. I will never stop hating you..." Dib narrowed his eyes for effect, hoping his arch nemesis would buy the bluff and drop the gun so he could go back to bed. Yes, continuing this predicament another time seemed like a perfectly good idea, with clean clothes, and maybe somewhere else. In the sunlight, at least...

He lowered his soggy-sleeved arms. The injured invader was looking at him strangely, almost...sadly? No, that couldn't be it. It was another trick. It had to be...

Dib was beginning to have serious doubts about the whole situation now. He wondered at the alien's bizarre behavior. He seemed to have demolished his entire underground lab, broken glass and wires littered the messy floor. He himself was tattered and bruised when Dib had found him, sitting in the darkest corner, muttering in an unintelligible dialect, face buried in his knees. Only when he had heard the click of the manual camera as it took his picture, did he spring to life, attacking the young paranormal investigator with a strange fury. That wasn't too uncommon. They had had a fair number of brawls since the alien's arrival. But this was different. Some passionate form of desperation was present in the Irken's attacks. His blows were more brutal, claws sinking much deeper. He was drawing blood...

The dark stains stood out gruesomely on the normally reddish-uniform the Irken wore, and his green skin had paled considerably, lustrous eyes visibly dimming. Dib was actually beginning to worry about him now. Didn't he notice how much blood he had lost? Any being would be dangerously weakened by now.

He had to end this quickly. Enough was enough. "Nope. I didn't buy it. Not for a second. Not even when your pathetic excuse for a robot knocked at my door, begging me to come over and 'fix his master'."

Zim looked up, surprised, a trickle of blood sliding down the side of his face. "GIR? Where is that insane little SIR unit anyway?" he asked absent-mindedly, scanning the room, hand lowering subconsciously.

Dib shrugged. "Short-circuited in the rain. But I left the frazzled remains on the couch..." There was a soft clang as the nozzle of the gun touched the floor. Dib took the opportunity to lunge at the alien, sending the weapon skittering through the shards as it slid across the floor. He pinned Zim's thin arms to the ground, expecting resistance. There was none.

He let out a sigh of relief, looking into the large reddish eyes. "It's over, Zim. You lost. Again. As you always will...but I'm not stupid enough to even begin to believe you'll give up, so I'll see you tomorrow. Be..."

Zim wasn't looking at him any more. It was almost as if he was gazing through him, and into ceiling far above them. "They were right. I am a failure. Complete and u...utter...f..."

"Zim?"

There was no reply. The horribly dimmed ruby-eyes shut and didn't open again. And they never would...

Dib sat up, stricken, releasing the limp arms. Tears streamed down his young face as he looked down at the only person he ever really admired, the closest thing he would ever have to a friend....

Lifeless on the cold, heartless, metallic floor.

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Dib woke up sobbing, on the floor of his room. After a long while, he removed his hands from his face, wiping his eyes on a pajama sleeve and putting on his glasses. Numbly, he looked at the neon red numbers of his bedside clock. 11:51PM. They were hated digits. The exact same time he had woken up in that horrid dream...

He jumped at the sound of the doorbell ringing. He looked at the clock once more. No, it couldn't be...

He pulled on his trench coat and raced down the stairs, flinging the front door open. Tears welled up in his eyes.

Equally distressed, albeit artificial cyan ones looked back up at him.

"Dibby-human...master's in trouble...fix...fix my master..."

The little robot then collapsed on the cement with a dull clunk, eyes fading to gray beneath the torrent of rain. Dib picked up the faulty SIR unit and tucked it into the folds of his coat, dashing down the darkened steps and across the slick pavement of the street, to the odd little green house that wouldn't be glowing this night.

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The more reviews I get, the faster I'll update!! J/k :P All my faithful reviewers know I can't stay away. ; ) but it might take a little while...

It all depends on these wretched things =glares at the stacks of empty boxes= and how fast I can cram my stuff into them. =munches on some pocky, drooling= Food.....yummmm....heh? Oh yeah...= Starts tossing random junk in=