Zim can't decide-Short story

Gulps of air was the only sound his mouth made as Dib sprinted through the dark alleys, desperate to find a way out of the maze.

I thought Zim couldn’t find his way around the city! The paranormal investigator thought, to out of breath to speak his thoughts out loud, like he usually did.

Not like this hasn’t happened before, at least in other areas of the odd city/suburban town he and the psychotic green alien lived in. It was almost predictable in a way. For a few days it would be a mix of the old days and new ways. He and Zim would sometimes call each other names in class, especially around other groups of students, even though usually those same students chose to ignore them most times.

And then, other times, it was different. They sat next to each other at lunch, even walked home together. Sure half the time their conversations consisted of either world domination/protecting the world, but other times it was on a variety of subjects. Filthy school, filthy homework, mildly filthy video games, disgusting human food, and other horribly filthy and disgusting other human topics.

Most adjectives in his mind were supplied by Zim’s constant rambling (and short of any other vocabulary) influence, of course.

And then there were these times, where Dib was always reminded that Zim was an alien. An out-of-this-world monster.

Sometimes the alien snapped and accused Dib of trying to fake being his ally in order to send him to the FBI.  Or at least, that’s what he use to do. Now Dib’s only warning was a semi silent Zim and the glint of either an alien ray gun or spider leg.

And the flash of , what seemed like, a cocky zippered teeth smirk, and the spirit of the hunt in the alien’s eyes (either red or fake contacts).

And then another chase would begin.

Does he really have to do this!? The young teen thought desperately.  After ALL this time we’ve spent together, he still has the urge to kill me!?

Truth be told, he hasn’t once died from any of these cat and mouse chases. Although he has been inflicted with numerous cuts, bruises and pains of all sorts. That’s what you get for trying to be friends with a criminally insane alien who has access to an assortment of deadly weaponry.

As Dib turned a sharp corner without looking, he knew at once his idea of taking Zim into the city was a bad idea.

Familiar metal spider legs, two actually, shot out at Dib, one giving him a blunt blow to the side too the brick wall, the other striking down to pin him there to it.

Dib clenched his teeth in pain, trying not to yell out, as the metal arachnid leg pierced him slightly on the top of his shoulder, shedding blood slightly, but not damaging anything to vital. The only real way it kept him there was by the trench coat.

Stupid trench coat and it’s high collar!

Thinking and even almost breathing stopped at once as the boy looked up to see two narrowed red eyes.  No, no, trick of the light, he was wearing his disguise. It was just so hard to get the image of those eyes out of his head. They were always there.

A wide zippered grin grew on the small alien’s face. The Irken approached Dib, two other spider legs sliding out of his PAK to stay deadly in midair, pointing at the boy’s abnormally large head.

“Well, Dibbums.”

It was about a month or so he gave me that nickname right? What does it mean?

“Looks like you were careless!” He was right in front of the human now, serpent tong pointing out teasingly. “Your not very good at tag, are you?”

“TAG!?! What kind of one sided tag game is this, Zim!?! By the way, you owe me a new shirt. This is the ninth one you ruined in the last three weeks!”

The cool grin stayed on the green alien’s face, as a gloved three clawed hand came up near Dib’s throat.

“Really?” and to the male human’s surprise and even fear, the claw came down, if a bit slowly, tearing away the boy’s blue and red stained shirt, leaving small red gashes on his chest. It wasn’t all the way, as the material was still together at the bottom, but sheds of it covered in a bit of blood dangled from the teen’s chest.  “Is it a new record broken? Or does it not count if I don’t completely shred  it to pieces?”

There was devilish glint in the Irkens eyes, which made Dib’s breath hitch in his throat.

And then, suddenly, the spider legs retracted, and Dib was left panting and leaning against the slightly blood stained brick wall. Not so much blood, but enough.

“Wha-what?”

“Your blood sickens Zim, Dib-human.” Zim said, looking at his slightly bloodied gloves, with an oddly blank face.

Dib gave the green alien a slightly stunned look.

“Z-zim, why?”

With a yell, Dib barely dodged another spider leg, which had literally leaped out of the PAK at a ferocious speed, engraving itself into the brick wall.

“Because, Dibbums. I just can’t decide.”

It’s unknown whether the human actually heard Zim or not, as Dib was running down the alley again, desperately trying to get back home to a first aid-kit and clean pair of clothes.

The Irken turned to the direction his little human toy disappeared to, arms crossed behind his back. The spider leg jerked itself out of the brick wall, a few pieces of broken brick crumbling to the alleyway floor.

“Because my little Dibbums, I can’t decide.” He made his cool little march down the rest of the alleyway.

“If whether I should let you live. Or die.”