ZaGr--Driving Test Ch. 17
The rain felt like acid on Gaz's skin, and she was momentarily thankful that Zim had bought her the thick coat. It felt and looked like leather, but she knew better than to check the tag. She couldn't read Irken anyway.The sky above was red as blood, with clouds tinged with darkness as black as pitch. Gaz ran through the Irken streets, now empty, calling out for Gir. She came across an overlook and put her hands on her knees, panting. The view was gorgeous, the giant Irken towers huddled up like children, all the purple bathed in a red glow. The rain shimmered, every drop like oil, turning the view into a Van Gogh painting. Gaz noticed she wasn't the only one enjoying it: Gir sat on a bench to the right of her. The rain slipped and slid around his small metal frame. His face was sad."Gir," Gaz said. She stood awkwardly next to him, her hands in the soft pockets. She was sorry to say she didn't know the little robot very well. "I've been looking everywhere for you."Gir sat motionless and silent. Black lightning crackled overhead. Gaz winced as she crouched down in front of him, taking off her hood and exposing more skin to the rain. Her face was soft and worried. She couldn't tell if he could see her; his eyes didn't move. "Let's go back to Dib, okay?" She reached for his hand. Gir scooted away from her. Gaz pressed her lips together. "Look," she started softly, "there's no way we're going to let them reprogram you. You're with us now, and even without..." Gaz gulped. "Even without...you know, you could still come back to Earth with us. We'd take care of you. My dad's a scientist, so he could really--""I'm not going back to Earth." Gir's face was still blank, and the serious words sounded foreign coming from his mouth.Gaz wasn't surprised that this was his reaction. She couldn't imagine living without her dad, especially since her mom died. What did surprise her, though, was how easily she gave up Zim--how she was so ready and willing to go home without him. She couldn't remember what it was like before he came into her life. Gaz closed her eyes and sighed. She remembered seeing him the previous morning: white button down shirt, black jeans, checkered Vans. She remembered realizing her crush on him. She looked behind Gir at the empty wet street. She may never get the chance to tell him how she felt, or how he looked that day...Hot, Gaz thought, but pushed it from her mind as soon as it entered. Now wasn't the time to feel like...that.Gir's eyes focused on her as she was remembering. Her lips moved, her eyes big and desperate. Gir could see how his master thought she was pretty, although he usually didn't understand words like that."Gazzy is pretty," Gir said, smiling. Gaz's eyes snapped back to him and she smiled too. "Thanks," she said, laughing a little. "Do you want to go back to Dib? I mean, are you ready? To go?" Gaz's smile wavered a little. She wasn't great with kids, or pets, or...robots.Gir hopped off the bench. "Will Dib eat some of my waffles?""Sure," Gaz said tentatively. "Yeah. Waffles. Dib...loves those."She didn't know whether to pick him up or hold his hand or just let him be. She decided on the latter. The rain had stopped, and the whole planet seemed to be bathed in that hypnotic dark rainbow light, every alien streetlamp illuminating the buildings. The colors made them look angry and vibrant, and, unsettled, Gaz decided to look at the bricks at her feet as she walked. Gir skipped behind her, loudly relaying his waffle recipe."Am I arrested?" Dib panted, laying on the floor, covered in a thin layer of sweat. "This isn't Earth, idiot. You don't really get any rights." Tak stood over him."Darn," Dib mumbled. He really wanted to say something stronger, but he was worried about Tak's bracelet of pain thing. He didn't want to know the policy about cursing. "So," he started, sitting up. Tak stared him down, her finger inching towards the button."No no no!" Dib raised his hands, bound by the handcuffs. "I just...I'm not going to run."Tak eyed him coolly, eyes narrowed, but put her hand down firmly by her side. She walked to the folding chair and grabbed her spear. "I have something worse than those handcuffs." She glared at him.Dib grimaced. "What is with you?""What?" Tak asked, too forcefully, quickly walking toward him with her spear in her hand.Dib raised his hands again. "I just mean, like, you win. You don't have to keep threatening me, I'm not going anywhere."Tak pushed him down, the toe of her black boot on his chest. She kept it there. "Maybe I just like to see you squirm." She pointed her spear an inch from his nose. Dib crossed his eyes to look at it.For a second there was silence. Both were panting although they hadn't moved. Something electric buzzed in the air, making the back of Dib's neck prickle. Tak's eyes were full of anger and hatred, and something else: uncertainty?"Okay, let's go home." Gaz entered the room, Gir in tow. "How do we get to--whoa." Gaz knit her eyebrows. "What's...going on here?"Tak practically jumped off of Dib, and he sent a silent "thank you" to a god he didn't believe in. He wasn't sure what would have happened if Gaz hadn't walked in. His whole body felt hot."Nothing," both Dib and Tak said in unison. Tak glared at him."Okay," Gaz's face looked worn, and she didn't look convinced. Dib decided to convince her later. "Can we go home now, please?" She looked at Tak. "How do we get home?""I'll have guards escort you out." Tak crossed her arms and jerked her chin in Dib's direction. "But he stays.""What?" Gaz didn't even bother looking surprised: this seemed to be the theme on this planet. "The Tallest have plans for him." Tak shrugged. "That's all I know."Gir ran to Dib. "Do you want WAFFLES?" He happily shoved a plate in Dib's face. "Oh, I..." Dib held up his hands, still restrained. "I wish I could."Gir was silent for a moment, slowly removing the waffles from between them. Then he simply opened the top of his head and out came a robotic arm. The arm, a series of small screens running up the top, was patted and clicked by Gir until it could undo Dib's handcuffs. They fell to the ground with a heavy clang. Everyone stood dumbfounded, their mouths hanging open. Gaz took a step towards them. "Did you just--""WAFFLES?" The plate was back in front of Dib's face. Dib was hesitant, but figured that he probably owed Gir for quite literally setting him free. Dib took a tentative bite. "Mmmm," he started, staring intently into Gir's eyes. He turned his gaze onto Gaz, who shrugged. "Mmmm," he said again, chewing, then "oh, mmm! You guys have to try this!" Dib devoured the first waffle. "It's not even my carb day," he said in between bites, "but--"Gaz held up a hand. "Stop," she said, cringing. "Stop. No more. We get it, you work out."Tak fingered her antenna, feeling shy all of a sudden. She remembered why she had chosen Dib as her fake love and not another human. He definitely wasn't the least attractive human she had ever seen. He didn't look anything like the disgusting beings she saw on Irken TV. "I should probably take you up now," she blurted out. Dib noticed her face was dark red under the green: an Irken blush. He smirked a little; he couldn't help it."Why now?" Gaz was clearly unaware of the buzz between them. Her face was hard and tired."Just..." Tak shrugged. "Zim is probably in prison now.""Zim is in PRISON?" Gaz's mouth stayed open. "Why?""He fell in love with you, and that's treason. He was supposed to be taking over the planet, not using it as an intergalactic Tinder."Dib raised his eyebrows. "You guys have Tinder here?"Tak made a face at him.Gaz didn't speak. She didn't know how to feel. Everyone else ignored that little tidbit of information except Gir."MASTER LOVES GAZZY! MASTER LOVES GAZZY!" Gir danced around in circles. No one felt compelled to stop him, so he continued chanting.Gaz gulped. She knew what she was about to say was completely, utterly ridiculous; and not to mention practically impossible. But it was the "practically" that tugged at her heart. With everyone's help, maybe she could do it. She bit her lip. With all the help she could muster, and all the intelligence in the room, just maybe she could save Zim.
KarateKitteh