I'm back with another chapter to continue this cute little story. When we last saw Zim and Dib, it seemed that the human one had managed to figure out a new plan to infiltrate the building. And I'm happy to reveal that said plan involves a nice little call back from a few chapters back. Maybe you know what I'm referring to *wink*. Enjoy!
A high-rise building stood tall over all the buildings surrounding it. Its surface was mostly covered in plain dark glass that reflected the many colored lights from below and surrounding it. Its frame was a gold-looking metal that gave it an almost art-deco style. It was very clear for all to see that it was a place of prestige. This was exactly why it had been chosen for the annual Technological Investors Exhibition, where rich investors could get a look at the most advanced technology available and decide to invest in it. As the main event didn't include any celebrities or anything that the public would be interested in, the whole thing was most known to those who were rich enough to be included.
But that didn't mean it stopped the media from trying to get a few exclusive pictures and comments from the attendees before they entered.
Outside the entrance at the bottom of the building, a steady stream of expensive cars and limousines driven by chauffeurs stopped and dropped off investors or famous scientists one after another. It was a large body of paparazzi that greeted them as they walked along a red carpet and into the building. A constant mirage of flashes could be seen nearly a mile away. It was only an hour after the event had officially started and a small line of those who didn't have the pleasure of coming earlier stood and waited to enter, that the attention of the cameras had died down. Just as Dib had expected.
A single greeter stood with a clipboard to quickly check if the person was on the list to enter. His job had been made significantly easier by the number of rehearsals he had done beforehand, which meant he knew practically every attendee by first name, last name, and the name of their pet. He prided himself on doing such a good job, and not having to stop a single person to check them. Which meant that he was most bewildered when the last pair in the line finally managed to reach him. For the life of him, he couldn't recognize the young man with the black and eccentric hair who stood in front of him practically sweating bullets. Not to speak of his partner, who was quite frankly the ugliest woman he had ever seen. Which perhaps was related to the fact that he had never before seen someone with green skin and no nose.
The greeter glanced at his clipboard and then at the pair, trying his best to pin a name to their faces. When that failed he just looked at them and asked with a shocked expression:
"Uhm...Can you give me your names?"
"Oh, right of course haha...I'm Dib." He answered in a sheepish tone that sounded almost pitiful while giving the greeter an awkward, teeth-filled smile. He also pulled at the collar of his suit, which he had managed to find in the furthest reaches of his closet. Dib wasn't entirely sure why he was so nervous. He wondered if it had something to do with him never before having attended something so prestigious. Or maybe it was the fact that he had locked arms with Zim. And thanks to the alien's choice of clothes, they also had to act like they were a couple. Dib concluded that it was probably that.
"AND I'M ZIM-ARGH!" Zim was quickly cut off by Dib who while still smiling, pushed his elbow into Zim's side.
"I-I mean I'm Zim..ariela?"
The greeter looked at them for a few moments before half-heartily looking over his clipboard for one last time. In the end, he predicted the result and let out a tired sigh.
"Well, I'm sorry to say, but your names are not on the list. Now would you be so kind as to go away before I call security to-"
"WAIT!" Dib exclaimed, earning a slightly scared look from the greeter.
"Uhm. I mean, maybe you didn't recognize me." He continued, with a charming calm voice, which he had practiced in front of the mirror a few hours before. "I hope this will refresh your memory."
Just as the greeter was about to interrupt him and call security, Dib pulled out a flashy, blue business card with his name on it. His full name. Dib could practically see the cogs turning inside the greeter's head as he read the word Membrane. In an instant, the man was covered in sweat, before quickly collecting himself.
"Oh, THAT Dib! You must excuse me, I sometimes forget that the great Professor Membrane managed to have children while working on his technological wonders!"
"Don't worry, he sometimes does too," Dib replied with only a small amount of sarcasm.
"While you're still not on the list, I would say we can make an exception for you." The greeter said with a cheeky smile as he quickly wrote Dib's name into the list.
"And I'm guessing that she's your plus one...Zimariela, was it? Such a beautifully exotic name I must say."
"Yeah, you would be surprised how exotic she really is," Dib answered back with a small chuckle, not noticing Zim growing more impatient.
The greeter didn't pay much attention to Dib's comment and instead wrote Zimariela down in his list.
"There. Now go in and have a wonderful evening. Oh! Mr. Membrane, you would perhaps be interested in hearing that-"
"NO TIME, goodbye ugly earthling!" Zim said as he forcefully dragged Dib away before he had time to hear what the greeter had to say. It was only once they were inside the building itself that Zim slowed down, giving Dib a chance to speak.
"You know you don't have to dig your claws so hard into my arm, right?" He asked, with a slightly aggravated tone.
"Maybe I would if you weren't so slow. Why is everything on this disgusting planet so slow!?" Zim hissed out rather loud, making Dib look around nervously as they walked down the hallway leading to the event room.
"All right I get it, but try and keep your outbursts to yourself, we were already on thin ice back there at the entrance. I mean, 'Zimariela'? Really? Have you been watching those spanish dramas again?"
"Of course not! Besides, I'm too smart to fall for the utter primitive drivel you humans call 'entertainment'...and also I will never again touch those dramas, not since the deceitful Carlos VICIOUSLY betrayed Gabriela! SHE WAS TOO GOOD FOR HIM ANYWAY!" Zim exclaimed to Dib's annoyance. If he couldn't get Zim to behave, then there was a good chance that they were going to be thrown out. Even before they try and steal something.
As they walked, they followed a path laid out by signs that pointed toward the event. A few people were walking around, mostly workers Dib guessed. And as they walked past, and gave the duo a slight glance, Dib became more and more aware of how the two of them were perceived. Which wasn't helped at all by Zim's decision to wear something very specific. In the end, Dib couldn't handle keeping it inside him anymore.
"Zim, why, of all things to wear, did you decide to wear your prom dress?" He asked, with a slight bit of embarrassment in his voice. Zim looked insulted and glanced down at his red dress, with light from the hallway reflecting off the dress' fabric.
"What's wrong with THIS! You told Zim to wear something suitable." Zim answered, with an offended tone.
"And what made you think the dress was suitable!?"
"You said I should wear something fancy."
"Yeah, I mean a suit or something! Now people are gonna think we're a...y-you know!"
"...I really don't, Dib-stink," Zim replied earnestly, who after all those years apparently still hadn't picked up that exact social cue.
"Nevermind," Dib said, before scuffing and looking away, not wanting to continue the discussion further. Both to keep a low profile and for his sanity. Luckily, it seemed Zim agreed. Which Dib was pretty happy with, as he wasn't in the mood to explain to Dib how they could be seen as a couple. But as they continued walking, Dib couldn't help but wonder what exactly he had gotten himself into. Sneaking into a secret government facility was something he would gladly do in his pastime. But this time he felt very much out of his element. And having to act like they were together was another layer to that.
"Why did I ever think this was a good idea." He mumbled to himself.
"What did you say?" Zim sincerely asked having apparently heard the human mumbling under his breath. The surprise question led Dib to try and quickly come up with an excuse.
"Oh, I-I just...wanted to know where you parked your spaceship! You said you would find a good spot to hide it after you dropped me off."
"And Zim did just that. I landed the ship on one of your parking buildings."
"...I don't think hiding a spaceship inside a parking lot is a very good idea," Dib explained, only slightly impressed that Zim managed to park his ship and not just fly it into a building.
"No not IN a parking building! ON a parking building you half-brained idiot!"
"Well, that makes at least a little more sense. But how are we gonna reach-"
"Ahem."
Both Zim and Dib looked up to realize that they had reached an elevator, with a man in an expensive tuxedo seemingly waiting for them to say where they were going.
"I'm guessing you're going up to the main event, yes?" He asked in a polite manner, though how sincere it was, was hard to say. Both just nodded, as they wondered how long he had heard them talking. But either he hadn't heard anything or had a remarkable amount of composure since he didn't comment on anything, and instead just called the elevator, which quickly came and opened. He then gestured for them to walk inside, whereupon he followed behind them and pressed a number on the panel. Number 37 to be exact. Dib reminded himself to note it down, in case it became important later.
As they rode up, both Zim and Dib started feeling how uncomfortable the situation was for both of them. Zim was grinding his teeth together as he could feel the wet sweat dribbling down from Dib's arm, and the abhorrent smell that came with it. And Dib meanwhile knew that was happening and could stand and do nothing about it. In fact, both of them wanted nothing more than to let go of each other. But it had taken nearly ten minutes for both of them to lock arms and at that point, they just hoped that ignoring what was happening would make it somehow less worse. But that only worked for so long.
"My, aren't you a cute couple." The man in the tuxedo commented, which was the worse he could have said. Both Dib and Zim went nearly completely red in their faces. Zim also started digging his claws into Dib's arm. The human knew it wasn't completely intentional, but he still had to scream internally in pain.
"Thank you," Dib replied through clenched teeth, staring dead ahead, hoping that they would soon reach the floor so he and Zim could bolt out.
"I'm sure the other attendees are gonna be jealous of you two." The man continued, as Dib wished he would just shut up already.
"Yes, those old, wrinkly, and disgusting bags of meat are gonna be utterly jealous of our...couple-ness." Zim practically hissed out of his mouth, every word seething with utter disgust, with both the man and Dib looking at him slightly concerned. Though Dib was quick to let it go, as he was pretty much sued to those kinda comments from Zim. The man on the other hand didn't seem to become fully comfortable again and instead didn't say another word.
To their utter joy, the elevator finally reached their destination. Without any hint of hesitation, they ran out of the elevator and didn't look back. They only stopped when it came apparent they were gonna collide with a group of people. Luckily nobody noticed them, so they were able to sneak into the main body of attendees, disappearing between the gathering of people. It was also there they decided to break free from each other and just walked side by side.
As they walked, Dib started looking around. The ceiling was double as high as it needed to be and there could be seen a walkway that circled the entire room. There weren't any decorations to speak of. Not that the place needed any, as it was already the fanciest place that Dib had ever seen in his life. The room itself was fairly large and somewhat crowded. But the attendees had gone together into groups so there were several paths which one could use to get around. The attendees themselves were a wide group of either old millionaires, investors, or rich eccentrics. Among them, Dib could even recognize a few well-known scientists and inventors that his father had worked with or talked about. A few other people were walking around and serving drinks and appetizers. One of them even came up to the two of them and offered a drink. Dib accepted out of courtesy and to not try and stick out more than he already did. Zim on the other hand gave the server a glare that made them quickly walk away.
"You could TRY blending in, you know," Dib commented judgingly as he looked back at the server hurrying away.
"I AM blending in! I got my genius disguise on after all! Besides, I've never been discovered before."
"Fair point." The human conceded, before taking a sip and instantly regretting his decision. He tasted different types of alcohol before, but whatever it was they were serving was a little too exotic for him.
"What are you even digesting?" Zim asked, looking at Dib's drink with a questioning look.
"Uhm...Alchohol. I think."
"Oh, you mean that poison that you humans voluntarily ingest that slowly destroys your bodies and makes you act like even bigger idiots than you already are?"
Zim stared blankly at Dib who stared just as blankly back at him. Then Dib slowly took the glass up to his mouth and took another sip, without breaking eye contact with the alien.
"Yup."
The alien gave the human a look of exhaustion that could only come from years of dealing with stupidity that didn't make any sense to him.
"...Zim isn't even capable of being surprised by humanity's stupidity anymore." He said as he looked away, the same haunting expression glued to his face.
"Come on, you don't have to sound so sad about it," Dib stated half-jokingly. A bit of him was slightly concerned, as he wasn't used to seeing Zim looking so glum.
"No, Dib-stink, it is very sad for Zim. My constant bewilderment with your inferior species' customs and idiocy was the only thing giving me the slightest bit of satisfaction on this trash planet. But now I've gotten so used to how stupid you human-pigs are, that Zim doesn't feel anything anymore."
Dib could only awkwardly look around as he tried to find the right words to say. In the end, the only thing he could come up with was the first thing he thought of.
"Well...then it's good you are gonna be leaving soon, right!" He answered while trying to sound enthusiastic, even if his feelings on the matter weren't as simple. Which weren't helped that when hearing those words he could visibly see the alien freeze up for a moment.
"Yes, Zim couldn't be happier," Zim replied almost apathetically, and for once Dib was able to hear how disingenuous he was being. Leaving Earth was one of the few things that Dib thought could spark a bit of joy in the alien. Except of course destruction and world domination. But to hear him speak so uncaring about it made Dib question what they were even doing.
Dib was already conflicted enough when it came to having Zim finally leave his planet. He had already gone through convincing himself that Zim leaving was best for the planet and all of humanity. It was only his own misplaced feelings that were trying to push the idea back. To try and convince him otherwise. But now Zim himself seemed hesitant on leaving. Which only made him more unsure. Dib wished more than ever to be able to understand what was going on inside Zim's mind. He hadn't thought about it much, but he couldn't deny that a part of him was nagging him. A feeling that Zim was holding something back from him.
His thoughts didn't wander further, as they had managed to walk into the exhibition area itself. There weren't as many people in the room as in the main hall, but that was made up for by the exhibitions that lined the walls. There were several inventions and pieces of advanced technology hidden behind glass casings, with a plaque on the outside, explaining what it was. Dib tried for fun to read one of the plaques but was interrupted when Zim forcefully pulled him away and over to one of the desolate corners of the exhibition room. Once Zim was sure that no one could hear them, he turned to Dib.
"Alright Dib-stink, enough messing around with those wrinkly humans. We have a job to do."
"I don't know if we have to rush it. We barely talked to anyone."
"Yes, and I would rather keep it that way. Besides, that's going to be your job."
"Alright but what are you gonna be-...wait, what?" Dib asked with slight worry. The only reason he had remarked about not talking to anyone was because he had gotten caught up in the moment. The thought of actually having a conversation with any of those people wasn't something that Dib looked forward to.
Zim rolled his eyes at the human, which was much more obvious with his fake contacts. Something that Dib appreciated.
"Don't tell me that you have already forgotten the plan, Dib-thing." Zim insultingly asked.
"Oh please, it's more your thing to forget a plan. I know we cut the power and therefore the security, and then we nab everything we can carry and escape. So I don't get what you're referring to specifically being my job?"
"Well, seems I forgot to fill you in on that part," Zim replied rather nonchalantly as if it had just been an afterthought.
"...Of course you did."
"DON'T MOCK ME!" The alien angrily demanded though it didn't convince Dib that much. Then in an act of considerable restraint on Zim's part, he just shook off his frustration and started explaining.
"Since there is an increased amount of security, Zim calculated that sending every one of those humans running around insects in the dark might attract some attention that could end up being a distraction for our plan. That's where you come in. You're gonna have to keep the human pigs calm and lead them out of this room. While I Zim, with my amazing charisma, could have pulled it off myself, I'm gonna be cutting off the power. So that leaves you with dealing with the humans. Something I assume even you could pull off."
"Wow. After all these years of stopping your plans, I would have thought that you would have a little more faith in my capabilities."
"If I didn't have even the slightest bit of illogical faith in you, I wouldn't have taken you along. Besides, how many times haven't you failed in exposing me to the humans? Oh wait, Zim forgot, it was EVERY TIME!" Zim answered with a smug grin. Dib wasn't sure whether to be amazed Zim had any sort of faith in him, or insulted by Zim's comment. In the end, he just let out a sigh and decided to forget about it.
"Fine, I'll be a distraction. But don't we also need to find a vent for you to get in?"
"Hah! Do you really believe that I didn't think of that? Yes, my dear gullible Dib, we're gonna need a vent. Which is why it wasn't a coincidence that I dragged you over to this corner. because, according to my blueprints on this building, a vent should be just right...there!"
Zim pointed triumphantly at a vent on the wall they were standing up against. Zim could only imagine how stupid Dib was feeling. In reality, Dib was wondering how he was gonna break the news to Zim.
"Uhm...Zim? Are you sure that there isn't any other vent we can use-"
"Of course, there isn't! The entire plan hinges on this vent, so keep quiet while I enter."
Zim then started looking around, making sure that when he would enter the vent, no one would notice. Meanwhile, Dib was starting to feel bad and recognized that things would only get worse if he didn't mention something sooner.
"Zim, you know, I think the vent might just be a tad bit too-"
"Alright, I'm going in Dib-stink. Don't mess up the plan while I'm not here to supervise you!"
With that, Zim took a graceful leap up to the vent. But unfortunately, he only managed to jump into the wall and slide down back down to the ground. Just the result that Dib had expected, considering that the vent was approximately two and a half meters above the floor. Which was too high up for Zim to reach it. Zim on the other hand didn't seem ready to accept reality yet, and instead tried jumping up again a few times, to no avail. In the end, the alien just leaned his entire body up against the wall while staring up at the vent.
"You know-"
"Don't say it." The alien muttered, with a clear threat in his voice.
"-I think that-"
"Don't say it."
"-the vent might just be too-"
"Don't. Say. It."
"-...high for you."
An eerie silence filled the air between them, even as the small laughter of the attendees around them continued, completely unaware of the situation the two of them stood in.
"...Once this is over, Zim is gonna cut off your angles."
"How's that gonna help you?"
"IT'S GONNA MAKE ME FEEL BETTER!"
Once Zim managed to calm down from the damage that was done to his pride, he allowed Dib to help lift him up, with Zim making sure that the human knew how much contempt he held for the situation. Once up Zim removed the vent cover and carefully crawled inside, before place placing the cover back in its place. Dib looked around, trying to see if anyone noticed them. Then, a thought struck him. He then quickly turned to the vent and tried as quietly as he could to get Zim's attention.
"Zim...Zim...ZIM!"
He was worried that Zim had already crawled away but to his surprise, he heard some commotion from the vent before a pair of familiar red, buglike eyes looked at him from behind the vent cover.
"WHAT?!" Zim asked, having removed his disguise inhumanly quick, and clearly irritated by the interruption in his plan.
"How are we gonna communicate? Isn't that...I don't know, kinda important for our mission?"
The eyes stared at him blankly, and Dib wasn't sure if he had said something Zim found stupid or if the alien was just confused. It must have been the latter, as Zim opened the vent slightly before a black object fell down. Dib made sure to quickly grab it, nearly crashing into the wall in front of him.
"Use this when you manage to somehow ruin my perfectly simple plan." Zim dryly remarked, before closing the vent cover. Dib looked at what he held in his hand and instantly realized what it was.
"Wait, is this just a walkie-talkie?" Dib asked though he realized that a few alien-looking parts were protruding from its plastic shell.
"It's not JUST a so-called 'walki-talki'! I've modified it so that it at least can be comparable to a smeet's toy. You can thank my genius later." The alien replied before Dib could hear him crawl away.
"Huh, cool. Hey, it kinda looks similar to mine!" Dib noted as he recognized the model. It even had some similar markings and scratches, that one of his own had. It also so happened to have a piece of yellow tape with 'This belongs to Dib' written on it in black letters.
"...DID YOU JUST STEAL MY WALKIE-TALKIES!" He yelled up at the vent, but no answer came, whether because Zim had already crawled away or because he just decided to ignore him.
Dib made sure to note to himself that he should bring it up with the alien later. He wasn't even sure when the last time was that Zim had access to his room. Then, with a huff, he turned back around. Only to be met by a myriad of stares from the attendees, who apparently found it weird that someone was yelling about a walkie-talkie to a vent. For a moment, Dib wasn't sure of what to do. The thing he wanted to do most was to jump into the vent and follow after Zim, but he wasn't sure if the alien would appreciate him practically tearing their plan apart. In the end, he just smiled awkwardly and quickly walked away from the vent, trying to look as inconspicuous as possible. Not that it actually helped.
Luckily for Dib, it didn't take long before the attendees decided that it would just be best to forget the whole thing and act like it didn't happen. Which Dib was just fine with. But it was at that point he discovered what would be the hardest part of the mission. Trying to occupy himself until Zim turned off the power.
The only thing he could think of was walking around and acting like he was doing something besides just walking around. In the beginning, he walked up to the exhibitions and studied them. He also have a look at the glass display which the technology was housed inside. Which was how he discovered why it was so important to Zim that they turn off the power. And also led him to question how glass could be electrified.
As he walked around aimlessly, he started to consider calling Zim with the walkie-talkie. If only to pass the time somehow. But Dib had the feeling that the alien would very much mind an unnecessary call. Not that it bothered Dib that much. He had it in his pocket and started fumbling around with his hand. Just as he was most tempted to make the call, he noticed from the corner of his eye someone was coming towards him. Not just to walk past him, but directly at him. If Dib didn't move it seemed the two of them would collide. Dib begged that the person wasn't going to speak to him and turned away from them. He closed his eyes and counted down.
"Hello. Aren't you Dib Membrane?" Asked a manly posh voice. Dib cursed under his breath before preparing a fake smile.
"Yeeeeeees, that's me," Dib said as he turned around to face the man. He was clad in a black suit just like anyone else and seemed weirdly excited to see him.
"Wow, I would say it was a coincidence, but I guess you two came together, right?"
"Uh, together?" Dib questioned, wondering if he was referring to Zim. Even as unlikely as that was.
"Yes, together, otherwise it would certainly be strange for you both to be here by chance."
"...Yeah, hehe, it would be," Dib replied, thinking of ways to ask the man who he was referring to without it seeming weird.
"I knew he had a son but I haven't ever seen you in the flesh! Maybe he can introduce you to me."
"...Huh."
"Yes, why not, he's right over there after all!"
The man then pointed over to a small group standing a few meters away. There, Dib noticed a familiar eccentric haircut, that was very similar to his. And it seemed that he was recognized too.
"Wait...DAD?!"
"Hi, son!"
This one took a bit of time. Which is related to the fact that I've been working on a few writing projects that I'm trying to see if I can get officially published in my country. So with that and school, I've been sidelining writing this for a while. I'm not gonna quit this story just yet, so I'm trying to get back in the saddle and start working on this again and get a few chapters out more often. We'll see if I can manage that. Anyway, hope you liked the chapter, and have a good day!