"At last!" He cried. "At last! All my work has not been in vain. All those years of scorn, months of research, and now," he smiled evilly, "The culmination of my life!" He crossed the dim room to a metal table where a small form lay strapped to the surface.

Dib smirked as he reached for the razor sharp scalpel, relishing the fear in Zim's scarlet eyes.

Suddenly his world spun and he fell to the floor, stretched to the surface as his vision rocked wildly. When he tried to lift himself he couldn't. He could only stare in horror as he spotted Zim coming toward him with the scalpel. He couldn't even twitch as Zim laid it at his ear and whispered softly, "Prepare to meet your horrible doom, Dib-worm."

/--\.../--\.../--\.../--\.../--\.../--\.../--\

\''/…...\''/…...\''/…...\''/…...\''/…...\''/…...\''/

Dib's eyes flew open as his alarm clock screamed him awake. Suppressing his fear, he reached out a shaky hand and slapped the snooze button.

Okay Dib, just relax. Only a dream, nothing more. Zim doesn't have you, and he never will. Breathe in, hold, breathe out. Breathe in, hold, breathe out. It'll be okay.

He yanked his hand through his sickle hair angrily. It would not be okay and he knew it. The nightmares had been coming every night for two weeks. He hadn't had this many nightmares since Mom had died. The thought only made him grit his teeth harder.

"Zim will pay for this," he muttered, jerking on his jacket. "Oh how he'll pay.

/--\.../--\.../--\.../--\.../--\.../--\.../--\

\''/…...\''/…...\''/…...\''/…...\''/…...\''/…...\''/

"No! You don't understand, it was all a mistake! I wasn't going to blow up earth. I swear!" He cowered before them, caught at the edge of a seaside cliff.

A tall, black-cloaked figure stepped forward and smirked. "Then what's that remote doing in your hands?"

Zim glanced down at his claws, and they were, indeed, holding a remote detonator. Sweat ran down his face. "I was… Um… I, uh… You, you dare question Zim!" He shrieked.

The figure he knew to be Dib laughed and pulled a bazooka from behind him. Zim relaxed and smiled. "Puny earth-worm. Do you think Irkins are so primitive that we can be destroyed by small explosives such as that?"

The figure never said a word. He aimed and pulled the trigger, releasing a torrent of shockingly cold water at Zim.

His skin writhed with a thousand flames of pain. He screamed as it began melting away, leaving his bones, organs, and squeedly spooch exposed. He shivered as the Dib came closer with a surgical knife.

/--\.../--\.../--\.../--\.../--\.../--\.../--\

\''/…...\''/…...\''/…...\''/…...\''/…...\''/…...\''/

"Nooooooooo!" Zim dashed across the room and latched his spider legs to the ceiling before he realized what he was doing. Chuckling, he slumped against the couch with relief. "Dib-beast isn't here. No need to worry—" Then he scowled angrily. "Worry? Why should Zim ever worry? Fagh! But I must stop running these simulations in my mind. They distract me from my work." Running over to the toilet, he flushed himself down to the lab.

He stroked his instruments with delight and pride. His features hardened as he glanced at the screen above him, showing Dib fixing himself warm milk and honey.

Poor Dibling, he sneered to himself. Did you have a bad dream? Poor, pitiful human, needing sleep. Don't worry, you won't be needing it much longer.