Chapter 1 - Hide and Not-Be-Found

Chapter 1: Hide and Not-Be-Found

A dark, crumbling building known as Highskool...that's where we start.

Two rivals, two enemies...both grew up fighting one another. One tried to take over the world, the other was always there to stop him. While they grew into their teens, their hatred towards one another was shrunk to somewhat of a neutrality...hinted with dislike and a earned respect of one another.

Their names were Zim and Dib. While Zim seemed to be treated like an average person, with only the few unkind remarks about his green skin, Dib....Dib suffered. With the dream of becoming a paranormal investigator, there came the fact everyone in the world thinks you're weird...insane....the list goes on...and with this fact and the lack of sleep he received from home, he was failing.

The thin and pale human with scythe-like hair, dressed in only larger versions of his childhood clothing, seemed to move through the deserted hallways as if disconnected from the world around him. He wasn't heading to class...oh no, he wasn't heading to class today...it seemed he was seeking the comfort of the past, and as he pushed open the door, the cold was nothing to him as he looked in the direction of Zim's house....the only student of Highskool that seemed to stay home.

While he quietly moved down the small set of stairs and walked away highskool, he dug through his backpack and pulled out a video camera. He sighed, knowing he was in for an argument with his father once again if the skool even cared where he was...chances are, they wouldn't even notice he ever went to school there.

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Through a vent pointed out by the small, cute and annoying Gir, Dib found himself deep in the lair of his 'enemy', Zim.

Through the dimly lit base, Dib could make out Zim's figure working on a device upon a table...the irken grew in height, and was now a thin, agile creature with the height of an average human, give or take an inch or two. A smirk seemed to grace the green figure's lips as the lights grew brighter and revealed what his work was.

A pair of goggles, shimmering in the light. Down from a little tube came Gir, who just had to ask. "Ooooh! What is it? What is it?!" He seemed to dance around the alien, quickly wearing out what little Zim had for patience.

"Gir, knock it off." A simple kick sent the annoying little being skidding across the floor. "Whee!" The robot squealed before he slowed to a stop and turned around. "Behold, Gir...my newest plan for world domination."

"Can it make WAFFLES?!" Gir screamed, giggling insanely. "No, Gir. It is designed for the humans....it will make the human that wears this an irken...clone, doppelganger, whichever...but it will make the irkens feel all the negative emotions of their human counterpart, and thus, it'll make them insane. I can just kick back and watch the utter chaos and terror that unfolds."

"I like chaos!" Gir fell over, laughing. "Yes...I know you do." Zim gestured rolling his eyes, and placed the goggles on a little hover platform. "With that done, I can take a small break." "Come on, let's go watch T.V!" Gir squealed as he grabbed Zim's hand and dragged him towards the elevator.

After Zim's protests and yelling had ceased and the sound of the elevator moving up to the house level was heard, Dib's curiousity seemed to lead him out of his hiding spot of the loose tubed area of the vents he was in and out into the base.

The security system was deactivated...Zim wouldn't be stupid enough- Well...actually, he might be...but at any rate, the human inched closer to the goggles. "So, he's planning on using these to conquer the world? Boy, that's stupid...but, just in case...I think I may want to keep these so nothing stupid happens...if it's in Zim's hands, then Gir will probably get it."

Dib stuck them in his backpack and turned back, returning to the vents where he made his way back up to the house level, sneaking out through the open window when Zim was arguing with Gir about something. Zim glanced at the window and frowned. "Gir, I told you not to leave the windows open! You'll let somebody like bees-" Zim shuddered. "Or Dib in."

"Aw, but I like the big-head boy!"

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When Dib came back home, he was ignored by his demon of a sister, Gaz, and his father was mumbling about formulas for a new project of his. While the boy attempted to retreat up to his room, his father caught him half-way up the stairs.

"Dib, we need to talk....it seems that your teachers have informed me of your failing grades." The boy froze, his eyes overshadowing. "I....I'm just...working alot with...uh..." Dib backed down a few steps and, without thinking about it, had retrieved the goggles from his backpack and placed them on to work with his lie. "Science...real science...I've been kinda...um...absorbed in my work in the science lab."

"Oh, well if that's the case....just try to get those grades pushed up a little, okay?" Prof. Membrane said cheerily. "Alright, dad." Dib then removed the goggles and darted into his room....for much needed rest. He gave a sigh of relief. "Wow...that actually worked."

He placed the pair of irken goggles on his desk and looked at them. "I don't think it makes a irken negative clone....I think Zim has big dreams that...let's face it, I think he just made a normal pair of goggles." Dib yawned, and shook his head. "I'll have to look at it later." He discarded his coat and glasses and soon was asleep in the warmth of his bed.

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That night....
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As the human slumbered still, the goggles shimmered. 'DNA collected, beginning Irken alterations.' Flashed upon the goggle screens. 'Alterations complete, creating Negative.'

From those goggles, a creature formed, from bones to organs to muscles to skin and clothes. Soon enough the goggles flickered 'Creation Complete.' Soon they went completely red, with irken symbols in the center of them. The goggles flashed in time as the creature spoke with a cold, dark and insanity hinted voice that was dropped to a whisper. "Thank you, Dib, for creating me...but now, I must be off....I have bigger things to do then stay here." Silver claws shimmered like scalpels in the moonlight as the window was opened.

Dib shivered as the cold night air entered his room and he twisted around and blindly grabbed for his glasses. With them in their normal spot, he looked around the room.....nothing was there....just an open window. He pushed the blankets aside and rose up to his feet, looking out the window....there was nothing awake or moving...he shrugged slightly and closed the door, too tired to notice the fact the pair of goggles were missing.

As he returned to the bed, he could have sworn he heard something speak to him...but with nothing here, he assumed he was just dreaming it up.

Red goggle lenses shone in the darkness as the unknown irken from earlier stood upon the roof of Dib's house. "Time to get to business..."

(End of Chapter 1)