Rilzit - Ch 51 Part 2 of 2

Rilzit
By Kitteh and NeoFox
Rating: R
Warnings: Violence and intense smooching
Disclaimer: Smeets will eat our souls if we dare claim Invader Zim.  So yeah, Jhonen can keep his smeets of DOOM!  We just want to borrow Zim and Dib for a fic, so calm yourselves.
Summary: ZADR.  'Why didn't I listen to Dad? I could have been safe at home studying science or some stupid shit, but noooo....I had to fall in love with a stupid alien and help him take over the Earth. Real smart Dib. Maybe next time you should just stamp moron on your forehead, much more effective’

Chapter 51

"Ah-!" Dwicky stumbled as he tried to keep up with the overly eager Dib. He blinked and shaded his eyes as they exited the alley into brighter light. "Well, there's a good place down there." He pointed down the walk way. "They have actual edible things, that don't squirm or scream all the way down." Dwicky nearly tripped a few times as he was pulled, and he laughed nervously, not wanting to meet the ground face first but at the same time not wanting to burst Dib's new good mood. "That place." He pointed to a restaurant with neon letters against the glass that most likely said 'open' in some unknown alien alphabet. It looked welcoming on the outside, nicer than a fast food joint, meaning the food was most likely better.

Dib stopped when they reached the restaurant and let go of Dwicky's arm a few steps from the door. He suddenly stopped and stared for a bit, but he quickly turned his attention back to the other. "Nothing is going to jump out and grab me right? You know, no slimy tentacle thing that talks in a weird language and burns my skin when it tries to do things to me that I'd rather not think about?" He took a small step back from the door as if just a thing like that was going to happen.

Dwicky blinked as took hold of the door, pulling it open. "Er, no, the waiters have a little more courtesy than that." He gestured for Dib to walk in first with a smile. "And you will be doing the eating, not the eaten."

Dib seemed to calm down a bit at that and finally walked forward and into the restaurant, nodding his head in thanks to the other.

The inside of the diner looked just as nice as the outside compared to the other building Dib had been to. Many booths lined the walls and most were already occupied by different aliens who didn't really give him much of a glance. A few waitresses and waiters walked around and only two stayed near the front where a giant board held a different alien language. All Dib could really do was stare for the moment instead of move, his eyes traveling over every alien that was in the place.

Dwicky rested his hands in his pockets casually looking over the menu himself. "The special doesn't sound too bad. Though I'm not too found of things that wiggle as I'm trying to eat it. Vortian food isn't too bad. They pretty much have the right idea of having things cooked when it arrives on the table." He paused a moment and looked to Dib who looked as if he were trying to absorb the entire menu with little sponge like qualities. Leaning over he whispered "Can you read Vortian?"

Dib shook his head and quickly looked back to Dwicky. "Huh?" He tried to figure out what the other said before it finally registered and he gave a small shake once again. "No, I can't." He raised a brow and started to fidget once again. "Let me guess, I'm pretty screwed then?"

The man shook his head "No. Not necessarily. It's all fairly good and edible." Dwicky turned and placed a hand on Dib's back to usher him to a booth to sit "There's pictures on the menu. You can choose what you'd like to try there. Plus you have things to share, yes? Stories to tell, and time to catch up. I also want to hear how Earth is doing too." He led them to a circular booth, a long cushioned seat situated around a circular table. Dwicky plopped Dib down before going on the other end, skootching near and getting himself settled eagerly.

"Earth, yeah..." Dib said the small words nervously as he sat down and watched Dwicky keeping his eyes on him the entire time. He quickly grabbed up a menu and hid his face behind it as if that would save him from everything he was about to tell the man. After a few moments of silence he finally spoke up, though his voice had lost the excitement once again. "You sure you wanna know? I mean you really don't have to know anything since you're way out here and Earth is somewhere away from here."

Dwicky tilted his head trying to see the other past the menu with little victory. Finally he skootched closer and reached out, setting a finger on top of the menu to pull it down. "Why?" His dark brows furrowed as he looked upon the boy with that ebbing concern of his that really didn't go away, even though he'd long ago left his practice. A free hand settled on Dib's shoulder, not meaning to fiddle with the collar of his own shirt but it couldn't be helped, he supposed. "What's wrong at Earth? What did we do wrong this time?" Dwicky's solemness broke with a slight smirk of amusement that could only be attributed to knowing humanity on that personal level of being apart of it-- at one point.

Dib glanced up at Dwicky before letting his eyes fall down to the hand on his shoulder. For a long time he stayed silent while still gripping the menu, but finally he spoke while still refusing to look up. "Remember how I used to go on about Zim being a threat to Earth? About how he wanted to destroy man-kind?" He finally lifted his eyes back up to meet Dwicky's no real expression on his own this time. "Well he almost did, and it was with my help."

Dwicky's expression seemed to sober right up. Though his hand didn't move from Dib's shoulder, it tightened some. He was silent for a good long moment, brows furrowing. Slowly he started to shake his head and his head lowered as he shut his eyes, a lock of dark hair falling onto his forehead. Finally Dwicky rose his head back up, settling a rather hurt look on the boy "Oh Dib… Dib, why did you do that?"

Dib's eyes narrowed on the other before they turned away back to the menu with the strange language. He took one look at it and threw it aside for the moment crossing his arms once again. "You don't understand. So many years of my life I was called insane or crazy. That I was just some weird kid that believed in everything that wasn't. Then one day in walks an actual alien, actual proof that I really wasn't any of those things, and what happens? They think he's some kid with a fucking skin condition." He gave a harsh sigh, uncrossing his arms to move a hand up, running it through his hair. "Five years of chasing him. Five years and I just got sick of it. I thought about it so many times and I finally just snapped. He said the words and I agreed."

"Dib…" Fingers slid across skin so that a hand carefully cupped the boy's cheek, turning Dib's gaze back toward the man. Dwicky's gaze remained solemn, only to become crestfallen. "Dib, I do understand. You're talking to someone who chased after aliens for most of his childhood and then some. I had put all my energy and belief into one thing so badly, that when I really needed someone to pick me up when I'd crashed and burned, there was no one left who would have me. Aliens didn't save me, and everyone thought I was nuts." He removed his other hand from Dib's shoulder to brush that annoying lock of dark hair on his own forehead before resting it on the other side of the boy's jaw, making sure he kept his attention, an idle thumb brushing against the boy's cheek. "That's why I gave up on aliens and tried to help messed up kids like who I was. So that another compulsive child wouldn't base himself on aliens to make him important, but what they've done. Aliens don't make us, Dib… Aliens never did." The man's hand ran down to lightly finger the dark over shaggy hair at the base of the boy's head. "You're a smart kid, Dib. You could be anything. The world wasn't out to get you... I had faith."

Dib's eyes moved over Dwicky's face as he took in each word spoken. When he had felt the hands on his face he didn't even try to swat them away, finding some kind of strange comfort in the action this time. Even after there was silence he still only stared. His mouth opening and closing until finally he looked back down at the table in front of them. There was no longer any real harsh tone to his voice when he finally found it again, just a sudden emptiness. "It doesn't really matter now. It's all gone. I wanted to do so much. I thought helping Zim would prove it all, but everything just fell to pieces."

"It's not about Zim. It was never about Zim. It was about you, Dib. You were trying to prove things about yourself, not that aliens were real." Dwicky raised a hand to brush a few dark locks from Dib's forehead, the boy had really let himself go to hell. "Aliens exist. They don't need you or me to prove it." The man's hand fell back down, a little lower than the boy's jaw line. "And just like people, there are good and bad aliens. In fact, we're aliens to aliens- it really makes no difference." Dwicky lightly nodded his head closer to Dib's "And there's always another chance. We always have time enough to pick up the pieces and salvage."

"Not about Zim..." Dib shook his head but still didn't pull away, his eyes narrowing as he looked back at Dwicky. "It's all I've known though. I've always enjoyed just trying to actually prove something paranormal is real even though it hurt to get insulted for such a thing. There really is no other chance for me. I'm in too deep right now. You really don't understand." He finally moved a hand up to grab the man's wrist and pull his hand away.

Dwicky frowned a little "Dib," his other hand which remained on the boy's jaw line, brushed the pad of thumb against the corner of the other's mouth before pulling away "you're preaching to the choir." He didn't lean back just yet "Sometimes you have to hit rock bottom before you realize what has to be done." His hand that had been taken by Dib's took the boy's wrist this time. Gently he laid the thin, pale hand on his own. It was so boney in comparison, Dib's skin was thick with scars and burns, with machine oil so deep under nails that no matter of cleaning would get them out. Dwicky's hand underneath curled fingers lightly around Dib's as the man's kind and concerned gaze fell on the other again. "Whatever it is you're doing Dib, it isn't good. And you're hurting yourself." Dwicky's voice remained soft.

"I promised." Dib let his eyes fall on their hands, his own fingers curling and uncurling at odd moments as he spoke. "I promised that no matter what I would see it all through. That means even through what his leaders did to me, and even through this..." He moved his free hand up to pull at the collar for just a small second, letting his hand drop back down after. "...I can't abandon what we planned to do. I don't care how much it hurts me. People are going to believe me and he'll finally trust me..." The last part was almost whispered as his eyes fell down to his own lap.

Dwicky blinked; the Irken leaders? Dib was in something deep. He exhaled quietly, letting a sad smile on his face before resting his other hand atop Dib's, sandwiching the boy's hand inbetween as if that would make things better. "Dib..." Dwicky wetted his lips a moment "Dib, you can't convince people through fear... and you can't convince a man to smile through tears. I can't say I know what you've gone through, but I can look at you and say it isn't for the better. Irkens are bad news. They'll go about any means to get what they want, to conquer and serve their Empire." Dwicky drew his hand off of Dib's to lightly brush a thumb gently against the dark bags under the boy's eyes "And it looks like this Zim fellow did a number on you. When was the last time you got some decent sleep?"

Dib almost flinched back at the touch, but instead only squinted one eye as he looked at Dwicky while answering the question. "I can't really remember. I've been helping repair the ship we're using so I've kind of lost track of time. Not that I've really been keeping it anyway." His eyes moved back down once again as he continued. "It's not Zim's fault I'm like this. Things happened. Besides, Zim wouldn't do that..." He suddenly didn't sound so sure when he said that.

Dwicky's thumb continued to lightly brush back and forth over the boy's cheek "And you said so yourself, you haven't been eating properly." His eyes digressed back to Dib's thin hand that he still held. "Or at all from the looks of things." Down the man's eyes fell to the bandages still around the boy's throat, the bite marks, scratch marks, until his eyes fell on the metal collar peeking through the shirt "...not to mention the scars. From the sounds of it, you're pretty deep in denial. What Zim is doing, what he wants... it isn't right. And it's destroying you and our people."

Dib's eyes hardened once again at those words and he quickly pulled his hand away from Dwicky's, turning his face away from touch as well. "I'm not in denial." He rested his arms on the table and laid his head on them, moving a hand out just slightly to grab at the menu so he could stare at it once more. "I'm fine. As for our people, they deserve it all for being so blind. If Zim had ever actually been able to get rid of me then what would they have done? It's all the same."

Dwicky made a quiet sound, collecting his hands together to fold on the table. He watched them for a moment before speaking quietly "You have a lot of anger for a lot of innocent people who don't know better. Not many people are as open minded as you. Think of the repercussions if people accepted the ideas that aliens were real: mass hysteria, mobs and riots, a lot of pointless chaos." He pointed one finger up "A person is smart," he then put all his fingers up "people are dumb." Dwicky pointed to the menu "Found anything you'd like?"

Dib made a small gesture to a picture that showed something which looked like soup, but was a dark purple color. A small plate was next to it with some form of crunchy round things that he gave up trying to guess on. "This looks fine..." He tossed the menu towards Dwicky afterwards and rested his head back down on his arms staring out at nothing, just the other side of the booth. For so long he stayed silent until he spoke up once more, his voice barely loud enough to hear. "I helped kill a lot of those innocent people. You wanna know the scary thing? It felt good. I thought there would be so much guilt and regret, but there was nothing. Especially when I killed my sister..."

Dwicky gave a small jerk as if he'd been shot. His hands slowly lowered to lay face down on the table and for a long moment he was silent as well. Quietly, he watched his own hollow reflection in the table's top before he closed his eyes and gave a sad audible sigh; he really had been gone from Earth a long, long time.

"C'mere." Dwicky finally spoke, quiet but enough to hear. "C'mere a sec." He reached over to place a hand on Dib's shoulder and trying to gently gather the other against him, to offer a reassuring embrace, to offer some solace despite all that had happened to Dib.

At first Dib tensed at the touch, but slowly he leaned into it. His arms unfolded to fall from the table and land at his sides limply as he leaned against Dwicky. For a few seconds he hesitated before finally letting his head fall against the other's shoulder, but not without some small noise of protest. He couldn't remember the last time he had felt such comfort. It seemed like so long ago. He couldn't help but question it. "What are you doing?"

Dwicky's arms loosely wrapped around the boy "I'm sorry." He gently ran a hand up and down the boy's back trying to sooth what ailed the boy. "I'm sorry that you went through such horrible things alone." Fingers softly drabbled at the ends of Dib's dark hair, before running through it, resting at the nape of neck "That you did such things, and felt such things..." Dwicky turned his head to press it against the other's "That I left before I could really help... It's my fault." He sighed soft but warmly against Dib's ear "This is my fault..."

Dib was about to shake his head, but thought better of it and just closed his eyes allowing the touches. One of his hands slowly moved up to grab a fistful of Dwicky's shirt just as he started to speak in a small voice. "You had your own chance to see things you wanted to. It's not your fault. I chose all of this for myself. I chose to betray everyone. You don't have to be sorry."

"I should have stayed and helped you prove it." Dwicky murmured, running fingers again through the boy's hair again and back down to rub the boy's back. "I knew I should have... I guess I thought you didn't need the help. You had it all figured out. I guess I didn't expect the worse." His shoulders sagged and he nuzzled his cheek against the boy's temple where he could murmur "… I'm sorry, I failed you."

Dib let out a small noise while burying his face near Dwicky's neck. For once he wasn't being pushed away when he needed to be held. It was such a strange change that he was more than willing to accept. "I tried to forget about that night. I didn't want to remember anything about it. I wanted to bury it as far back in my mind as I could, and I was actually successful. I guess doing that kind of broke the small thread of hope I had for humanity just a bit more." His voice had been muffled when he spoke since he was hiding his face in the other's shirt.

Dwicky tugged the boy just that much closer when Dib buried his face against him. He continued to rub Dib's back, gently kneading the tense muscles between the boy's shoulder blades. "I should have came back..." he softly spoke against Dib's the side of head "I was just so excited, I didn't think to look back. You were young, I thought you had enough left in you, what I didn't... I'm sorry." Dwicky leaned the bridge of his nose and lips against the other's over grown dark hair to quietly murmur against scalp "I really am… so sorry, Dib..."

Dib's body started to sag as Dwicky's hands moved along his shoulders. He stayed silent after words were spoken, keeping his face buried and refusing to move it. Slowly his hand that was still gripping the other's shirt finally let go and lowered back down to his own lap. fidgeting with a random zipper it landed near. "It's fine that you're sorry, but it's too late. Sorry doesn't really matter now..."

Dwicky's lips landed near Dib's cheek before lifting for him to speak "Sure it does. There's plenty to be done." The man's lips drew against the boy's jaw line "The Irken Empire doesn't own every inch of space." His hand fell along Dib's shoulder to run up and down the boy's upper arm to comfort "The Irken race has many enemies, all willing to help." A few fingers lightly tugged away the shirt's folded collar to slip under, brushing against skin and bandages under the metal Irken collar. "Your enemy's enemy is your friend."

Dib's eyes snapped open at the sudden feel of lips on his face, but before he could really question it the hand near his neck had him tensing up. He let out a small hiss, sucking in a bit of air before relaxing again. His earlier protest forgotten as he tried to answer other things. "I told you I'm fine. I don't need help from anyone else. Once Zim and I get off this stupid planet we can try to go back to Earth and hope that everything works out like it should have. Everything will be okay..."

"Don't do it Dib." Dwicky quietly pleaded "Don't do this." Fingers drabbled under the metal collar. "You don't have to do any of this." He leaned back enough so he could look at the boy's face "You can be free Dib. You're in space, another world, another time." Gently he brushed the boy's over grown bangs from his forehead "Don't go back to Earth. Not everyone you hurt is bad..." Dwicky's fingers came to rest at the boy's cheek once again "...I'm not bad." he quietly spoke before finally leaning his head down to brush his lips against Dib's.

"Quaint." And with that new, familiar voice, a storm felt like it slammed itself heavily into the entire restaurant, though they remained quiet and withheld the seething rage could be felt thundering overhead.

Dib had kept completely still through each touch just listening to Dwicky's words, but when he felt the man's lips on his own his body went rigid. For seconds he didn't know what to do until he heard someone else's voice. A voice that he really didn't want to hear so soon and it had him quickly moving away from Dwicky. Moving as far back out of the booth as he could which caused him to loose his balance and fall out. He stood on two feet when he got himself together and gave a small glance to where the voice came from, no real expression on his face as he wiped his mouth with the back of his sleeve. "Zim..." His eyes fell back down as he stayed silent, wishing he could just escape that moment in time.

Dwicky went wide eyed, his gaze dashing from one to the other back and forth. Zim? He'd grown. In fact, he was very much taller last he'd seen him, quite tall for an Irken; and that meant bad news all ways round when dealing with that race. He skooched back in his seat, completely silent.

Zim's gaze pinned itself on Dib, if ever a look could melt flesh from bone. The Irk took a step half away from the boy, widening his stance. Knuckles crunched from tight, quivering fists as the Irken kept his arms crossed. Colored eyes narrowed and antenna remained pinned back in stiff lines. He waited, oh he waited for the explanation that would come from the human's lips, for it would be far more hilarious a thing than anything he would hear in his entire life time.

Dib moved his eyes back to the alien and flinched at the look he saw in the other's expression, immediately turning his eyes back to Dwicky. He opened his mouth and tried to think of something to say, but all the words he could think of just sounded stupid considering what just happened. He closed his mouth and swallowed as if that would help the situation, but it didn't, Zim was still standing there. Nothing really made the situation better. "Small universe huh, Zim? Running into our old counselor, who knew. We were just catching up, that's all..." That was pretty much the truth, right? Even as he said it his eyes moved back down on the floor hoping in some way it would swallow him.

Dwicky gave a weak wave and an even weaker smile.

Zim's eyes widened some, Dib must have thought him a fool if he thought he would swallow such garbage, especially about human interaction. To cover up, lie, it only added insult to injury and he only poured a harder, more murderous, glare from narrowing eyes. Lips drew back, baring tightly locked teeth, but there weren’t words in all the known universes that suited the things he wanted to call Dib. Slowly the Irken lowered his arms, shaking so very obviously from the tight fists at the end.

Dib heard the small shifting the other body made and looked back at Zim, his eyes widening once more. He finally turned to face the Irken but didn't dare step towards him. "Zim, I wasn't doing anything wrong. It wasn't what it looked like, I promise. We were just talking." One of his hands moved up to rub at his arm as he tried to think of anything he could really say to make the other calm down. "He was just trying to help me feel better..."

Those words might as well have been physical blade for Zim jerked back as if he'd been stabbed. His eyes widened and his bared teeth frowned considerably. His hands stretched out only to gnarl at the Irken's side. "Liar." the words finally found themselves outside Zim's mouth, spat out so hatefully. "Such- lies!" Zim hissed vehemently. Immediately he stormed over, lashing out to grasp the metal collar. With a yank, it retracted, pulling off the boy's neck unkindly and Zim only threw it back at him, hoping it hurt. "Traitor." the sound growled from a dark hurtful spot deep within Zim's spooch; lips, loyalty, lies, all lies. Such trashy human lies.

Dib gave out a small yelp at having the collar yanked off, but it was having the metal thrown back at his chest that had him giving out a louder noise. He let the metal clatter to the floor, looking down at it as he rubbed a hand over his abused chest before quickly looking back up at Zim. For seconds all he could do was stare at the alien before he quickly reached a hand out to grab the other's, his own voice a bit shaky. "Zim, I'm not a traitor. You have to believe me. I didn't know that was going to happen."

The Irken’s other hand smashed itself immediately against Dib's jaw in retaliation to being grabbed. "Don't you dare touch me!" Zim spat, trying to yank his hand away. "You have no right to even speak Zim's name!" He bared his teeth again, antenna pinning flatly against his head.

Dwicky shot up from his seat. That Zim kid had really become quite a violent bastard since he'd last seen him. "N-now hey!"

"And YOU!" Zim turned his gaze like a shut gun to Dwicky. "YOU- you- I shall kill." A metal leg pulled from the Irken’s Pak. The clamp end gave a snap before rotating around with a click, blades snapping to make a much more serrated end. It pointed toward Dwicky like a metal snake, ready to strike with a plunge. Pink energy licked across the sharp ends, charging up.

Dwicky turned a whole new shade of pale.

Dib had stumbled back and fallen to the floor with the force of the punch. His hand that had let go of Zim's moved up to rub at his face to make sure his jaw was still in place before looking up just in time to see the metal appendage come forth. His own injury forgotten, Dib quickly got up from the floor and stumbled until he was between Dwicky and Zim with the dangerous spike in front of him. He tried not to think of what the metal could do while keeping his eyes on Zim's own. "Don't do it, Zim. There's no reason for you to kill him. I wasn't trying to go against you. I wasn't trying to do anything and he doesn't even know what's going on. Why can't you just listen to me and trust me for once? After everything we've been through why would I betray you like that?"

There was a horrible flaw when challenging Zim's intentions, on a dare he'd follow through and meet things head on with any means. So the Irk took one step forward and everything else felt like they were thrown several meters back, stumbling and falling to never get up. Zim's eyes widened dangerously, his chest shook so badly that his Pak rattled. "You are telling ME to spare THIS huumun!?" The Irken’s voice cracked from its pitched tone of disbelief and strain. "YOU-!" Zim yanked a hand up to stab all his sharp fingers in the boy's direction "dare give ME orders!?" He took another step forward "Slave-!" And another one. "You dare say words of 'after all we've been through' to ME when you--!" Zim's voice cracked and out came six neat spider limbs to raise the Irk to meet Dib's height and higher a few inches still as he took more steps towards the boy. Claws fumbled, curling and uncurling as the words wouldn't leave, too much thick bile had soured the back of his mouth. The sparking metal spike raised with a gesture of Zim's hand, it parted its own claws as the Irk did his, the pink energy darting from the parted blades. The light seemed to die away from Zim's eyes as he lowered his head, as if all the energy in him left to hold it up, but somehow a sad sadistic sort of smile drew itself crookedly over the Irken’s mouth. "...liar..."

Dwicky pressed tightly against the seat, eyes darting about. But no alien seemed to take notice; they weren't about to meddle in Irken affairs. The man moved closer to the boy to barely whisper "…don't do it... Run."

Dib knew he was shaking, he didn't even have to feel it to know it was already happening. He couldn't move back though, that would mean giving in. He kept his eyes on Zim's the entire time and when Dwicky spoke to him all he did was shake his head. "That's all I am to you now right, Zim? Just a slave? Ever since you found out what they were gonna do you became worse than before. I'm not a liar about anything Zim, but it's so hard to just sit back and take so much of your shit." His head bowed and he finally looked away from the other as his words grew quiet. "It's so hard to say how I feel anymore because it's like we're back at square one. All the fights just seem like they've gotten worse and I don't understand why. I don't understand what I did wrong or what's going on."

Zim's shoulders quirked and something about the Irken’s resolve fell apart somewhere near the end in what the boy said. The rattle of metal suddenly became too apparent, but he knew he couldn't stand on his own accord if he tried. "F-fine." No, no it wasn't; far from it "Fine! You want to talk back-! You don't love Zim anymore-!" Metal arms reeled, dragging the Irk backward but higher "I can't stand you're incompetence anyway! I can't stand you!" It wasn't what he wanted to say, to do "You want to smear loyalty on someone else’s' lips-! MOCK Zim!" The sparking sharp arm retracted but not before taking out a few good tables and other décor with it before it subdued into a normal metal end. With finality, Zim stabbed his finger toward Dib, though he would have loved to jab it against the boy's flesh, pierce muscle and rib bone away at the same time. "I BANISH you Dib-slave! I banish you from Zim!" hurt, hurt, hurt! "ROT on this planet! ROT and DIE!" It was the end, of that cycle of hurt.

Dib's head snapped up at those last words and for so long he couldn't form his own. His eyes traveled down to the other's finger before quickly reaching up to once again try and take hold of it. "No!" He hadn't meant to shout the word so loud, but it couldn't be helped. "No... please, Zim. I don't want to be loyal to anyone else. I don't want to leave you, and I don't want to stop loving you. It just hurts. It hurts so much to think that you don't care at all. More than it ever did before.” He let his head fall down to land on their hands while gripping the alien's gloved one tighter. "I'm sorry. Please don't make me leave. I just wanna know why."

"Let go!" The back of Zim's hand met itself with Dib's face again, hard, desperate; he just wanted to wipe that vile look of warmth and desperation from the boy's face. "I'll do worse if you don't back off!" He hissed wetly in his throat, his metal legs trying to yank him back, away from the human creature that held, clung to his hand so. "Zim doesn't want you! Zim doesn't need you!" The Irk lashed out a foot, kicking the boy squarely in the ribs, planting the sole of boot on Dib's chest to kick him away. He wanted to squeeze his eyes shut, tear away, but somehow that cold narrowed look etched itself on his face.

Dwicky flinched, flinched several times. He slowly shook his head, horrified by what he saw. "... Dib."

Dib's head moved to the side as he was smacked, his eyes squeezing shut tightly at the pain. It was Zim's boot that had him letting go completely, the impact on already hurt ribs causing him to tumble back into the booth and gasp for breath. His hands moved up to grab at the spot he was kicked while he continued to stare up at Zim. It was Dwicky's voice that had him tearing his eyes away as if just realizing the man was still there. After a few seconds he turned away to stand back up and narrow his eyes on Zim once again, one hand still rubbing at his chest. "Yes you do Zim, just like I need you. You can't throw everything away just because of this. Just because of one misunderstanding."

"THEN KILL HIM!" Zim shrieked back.

Dwicky went a whiter shade of pale.

"Look mummy!" A little cthulu child pointed to the three "Just like your soaps on teevee!"
Quickly the mother lassoed a tentacle around her child's mouth.

Zim's gaze jerked to the child, realizing he was making exactly what they said they shouldn't be making- a spectacle of themselves. Someone would see- but at the moment he couldn’t care less for the way things were; let all find out who he was! He slammed his eyes back on Dib, not waiting for a reply. "I don't need you to gain victory." He narrowed his eyes, his voice low and bitter. "I grant you grace from execution only because of your service to me." He swiped at the air, gripping his hand into a tight fist "But follow me, and I will not hesitate in killing you." Zim's gaze flicked a moment onto Dwicky "Either of you." That said the Irk back pedaled on spidery limbs, four raised to blast a strong laser out of the side window, sending glass shards and debris violently about. It was out of that the Irken left to.

Dib didn't even move from the blast, the force causing his already messy hair to blow around, some of the debris moving past him. His eyes stared straight ahead in the same spot even after the Irken was gone until finally he collapsed to his knees. A small choked sound came from him before silence, never moving from that one spot on the floor.

The dust hung heavily still in the restaurant, though only after the Irk was gone did some of the aliens complain about the fuss. A few floating machines flew over to start cleaning up the mess as if it were something everyday and normal.

Slowly, Dwicky pulled away from the booth to stand. He didn't say anything, but looked out the open hole the Irk had left through. Coughing, he looked back to Dib. He wished he had something to say to the boy, but it was obvious there wasn't much to make any of it better.

It was a long before he knelt by Dib and looked him in the face to see if he was alright.

Dib was far from alright. His eyes were staring empty holes into the floor of the restaurant as if he wasn't really looking at it at all. It was obvious he felt the other's presence in some way though because he whispered barely heard words. Though they could have been more to himself. "Gone... he's gone..."

Dwicky scooted over to kneel in front of the boy, leaning down to look up at the boy's face. He frowned. "Dib?.." He rested a hand on the boy's shoulder. Quickly his eyes darted about, things were getting restless and they were still there after the commotion, and wreckage; they'd be blamed for damages- or worse "C'mon Dib... it isn't safe here. We have to go." He gave the boy's shoulder a gentle shake.

"Gone...gone..." Dib continued to mumble until he felt a touch on his shoulder. His head snapped up, his eyes suddenly wide before they narrowed and he lunged at Dwicky with enough force to land on top of the man and straddle him. One of his hands wrapped around the man's throat trying to choke him as he started to shout in a broken voice, not caring who heard. "It's your fault! It's all your fault! He was the only one I had left! He was the only one that mattered!" His eyes caught sight of a piece of glass that had yet to be picked up and his free hand reached out to grab it. Once he had a grip on it he immediately put the sharp shard against the man's neck as he took his hand away, cutting himself in the process from his own grip. His eyes stayed hard as he glared down at Dwicky, but there were obvious signs of tears. "I can kill you... I should kill you... he told me to..."

A sharp sound caught in Dwicky's throat at the prick of glass at his skin, at such a maddening expression baring down upon him. He turned his head trying to shrink his neck back, but there was no way to avoid a gash if Dib truly wanted. He watched Dib with wide eyes and he swallowed thickly, hoping it wasn't his last time doing so. "Dib… you don't... don't have to do this." Dwicky tried to get his voice not to shake, tried to make it whole and kind. He was a pacifist, seeing so much pain and violence shook him up. "Y-You're your own person now. Free." Tentatively he raised a hand, palm up in surrender. "Like we talked about... Dib." His brows furrowed more, eyes widening more so.

Dib's hand shook a bit, but he didn't press down. He only listened to what Dwicky had to say, shaking his head causing the wetness to fall from his eyes. "I don't want to be free!" He turned his attention back to the other once more, his eyes still narrowed. "I want the one person that's given me what I've always wanted. Recognition. Slave or not I promised Zim I would help him see everything through and now it's all ruined! I told him that no matter what I would love him." His hand shook a bit more and his expression turned sad as his eyes closed halfway. "Now he thinks I'm a traitor, a liar-- that I'm something I'm not."

A hand lightly rested on Dib's wrist, the same hand that held the glass near the man's throat "You're a good person, Dib. I know you are... You saved the world...-many times." Fingers slowly closed around the boy's wrist, trying to urge the hand, the glass, slowly away from Dwicky's neck. "You don't have to be what he wanted. He can't rule you, or hurt you anymore... or lie to you anymore... or lead you on." Dwicky's free hand tried to raise, to thumb away those sad tears under a sad, dark eye. "Irkens only want one thing... and they'll say, and do anything to get it. Give false promises."

Dib's breath quickened with the feel of touch and his eyes seemed to dart around the other's face. It seemed like he would actually let go of the piece of glass until he felt the touch move to his face. His grip on the glass tightened once more and his expression turned hateful once again. "Zim isn't like that! He... he wouldn't do that to me! Whenever I was hurt he saved me. He wouldn't have done that if... if he didn't care-- right?" His eyes widened for just a split second and his body seemed to slump. "Why am I the liar then?"

Either of Dwicky's hands rested on the ground at his sides "Dib?" But the boy seemed so far gone "Dib?"" Despite the glass still at his throat the man raised his hand again to the boy's face, if only to get his attention "Dib. Look at yourself. You're panicked. High-strung. You're on the verge of break down. You look as if you haven't slept or eaten in weeks. Not to mention you look as though you've literally been fighting each day to keep alive." Dwicky took a quiet inhale, the fearful quiver finally leaving his breath "You need to stop this. You aren't a liar. He doesn't care… I'm sorry Dib. But anyone who would let you fall to this level, just doesn't care... If they did.. they'd take care of you."

Dib finally blinked his eyes new tears falling as he did so, but allowing the touch to his face this time. He stared down at Dwicky then down at the glass he still held which was covered with his own blood instead of the other's. Slowly he tossed the shard aside and brought his hand to his chest. He turned his gaze away from Dwicky and instead stared at nothing beside the man, finding that to be much safer. "I thought things would be different. He said he didn't hate me..."

Dwicky gave the boy some thoughtful silence before he spoke "…Irkens will say anything." With a soft grunt the man slowly sat up, rubbing his neck. He looked at his hand but saw no blood, so he thought nothing of it. Gently he set both his hands on Dib's shoulders. "C'mon, Dib... we should get out of here. Somewhere to fix up your hand, get you something to eat and a place to actually get some sleep."

Dib continued to stay silent for a few moments longer. His eyes scanned the restaurant they had been in the entire time before finally landing back on Dwicky. It seemed like he would actually say something but instead he only got up off of the man, using shaky legs to do so. Once he was standing he tried to wipe his eyes with his sleeve, only succeeding in making more of a mess on his face, but not really caring. Since he was actually standing he was able to catch a glimpse of the collar that had fallen to the floor now amidst the rest of the debris. For a few seconds he just looked at it until he finally walked over to it and picked it up, holding the metal in his hands and running his thumb over the small tag, only a small sound leaving him at the sight of it.

Dwicky got up after, dusting himself off before finally walking to stand beside Dib. He looked at the collar the boy held "Humans... are people too." He rested a hand on Dib's shoulder trying to lead him from the debris and the sharp glass that would cut the poor boy's bare feet. "We can go to my ship. My friends won't mind, they're out anyway. You can get cleaned up and rest there."

Dib only gave a small nod in response while allowing himself to be led from the restaurant. He refused to let go of the collar, if anything holding it tighter as he started walking towards the doors back outside into the streets. He made no motion to look at anyone or anything this time, more than satisfied to just keep his eyes below him considering all that happened. Whatever was on this planet wasn't really that interesting to him anymore.

Something horribly bitter watched over head, unseen and out of sight, as Dib walked with the other human; seemingly quite willingly. The Dib human hadn't bothered to kill the old human, nor came back to beg forgiveness, nor seemed to bother with anything. Fine. That was the way it was, than that's the way how it was going to end.
So the seething shadow wiped his wet gaze on a striped sleeve and skittered away. He'd leave, and do things the right way, on his own. Dib didn't need him, and he definitely didn't need Dib.