Invader Zim ZADR: How did we get here?

Chapter 18: What do we need to do?

"So...those are the plans for the tracker, right?" Dib asked, hoping to start a little conversation.

Zim in response let out a surprised yelp before he in a single second managed to grab all the papers at once and then held them close to his chest as if Dib was just about to snatch them from him. He then crawled backward for a few steps, before looking at Dib with a concerned stare

He had thought that Zim was just ignoring him, but apparently, the alien had actually forgotten all about his presence, if his reaction was anything to go by. Dib blankly stared back at Zim, unsure what exactly was going on. Zim continued to look at him concerned before the expression slowly melted away to reveal slight embarrassment, as he finally remembered that he had invited Dib to help him. He then crawled back to Dib and laid the papers back on the floor.

"Y-yes, these are the plans we're gonna need to repair the machine," Zim explained with an uncharacteristically sheepish voice while trying his best to avoid Dib's gaze. Not that the human was gonna let it go so quickly.

"What was that?"

"What was what?" The alien quickly fired back.

"....." Dib just kept looking at Zim, waiting for the alien to give in to his stare. It seemed hopeless at first, but in the end, Zim let out a disgruntled sigh, maybe finally realizing how stupid he was being. Or he just thought that it was wrong for him to be scared to answer the human.

"FINE! If you want to know, Zim is simply not...used to showing others his plans." He explained, and no matter how hard he tried he couldn't conceal that small bit of embarrassment he felt.

"But, haven't you shown your plans to Gir?"

Upon hearing Dib's question, Zim just stared at him like he had said the most stupid thing in existence.

"That hardly counts," Zim firmly stated.

"Oh, yeah, right, because Gir is fairly stupi-"

"Because he's an artificial lifeform, that could NEVER reach the sheer intellectual understanding of my superior brain, not even if he's made by mighty Irken hands, and no matter how advanced he is"

"...Or, that," Dib replied, not exactly in the mood to bring up how 'advanced' Gir really was.

"Yes, for that reason I keep all of my plans to myself, as I'm the only one who can comprehend my sheer GENIUS!"

"BUT SIR," Chimed in a robotic that came from seemingly nowhere and everywhere at the same time. The human had heard the voice of the computer before, but that still didn't stop him from getting a little shock.

"YOU HAVE ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS PRESENTED YOUR 'PLANS' TO ME, WHICH I MADE ALTERATIONS TO AFTER-"

"NO, I DIDN'T!!!" Zim yelled at the computer, sounding more like a command than a statement.

"Enough of that, FOCUS HUMAN!" Before the computer had any time to reply, or Dib had time to object, the alien grabbed his head and pushed it down to the papers, making sure he was looking at it. At first, Dib struggled a bit, but in the end, he realized it might just be faster to do what Zim wanted. So he looked up and down the schematic, making sure to memorize as much as he could. Even the alien symbols, which he couldn't tell were numbers or letters, he made sure to look at thoroughly. In the end, he came to a pretty compelling conclusion.

"Hm, hm. Yeah, I don't know what any of this means."

"I KNOW THAT!" Zim said with an irritated tone, before letting go of the human's head.

"Of course, I didn't expect you to understand these complex designs! All I needed you to do was have an inkling of an idea of what it is I'm trying to build!"