Dib's POV

So many nights I stayed up planning his destruction. So many nights I would go to bed thinking that he was my greatest enemy. And so many nights I never wondered if things could or would ever change. I mean, why would I? He was an evil being bent on the destruction of my world! I hated him and wouldn't stop until he was gone for good! That fact could never change, I thought.

But it did. One of those nights I stayed up thinking about him, but that time, my thoughts were different. Part of me says I should've seen this coming, I mean, I realize now it was so obvious, but the other part is telling me I'm absolutely insane, that this shouldn't be possible. But it is, and now I'm not sure how to deal with it.

It all started on that one cold night, back when I still hated him, back when things made sense…

I walked down a dark alley way in the middle of the night. I couldn't sleep. So I decided I would take a midnight stroll through the city, not thinking of the dangers I might put myself in. Anyway, the alleyway was dark and it was cold outside, so cold, I saw a door in the side of the building and found it to be unlocked. I quickly ran inside to get just a little bit of warmth, and ran straight into a group of tough-looking guys.

"Hey boys! Look what the cat coughed up! A freezing little whelp came in outta the cold! What should we do with 'im?" the biggest one said as he grabbed my collar. As I was trying to fight his grasp, I noticed a large pile of beer bottles in the corner and that each of the guys had a gun or knife in their hand. I panicked.

"Ahh…sorry! I came through the wrong door! Please, if you'll just let me go, I'll leave you guys alone!" I said pleadingly, but they all just laughed at me.

"Oh boy! You hear that, boys? He wants us to let 'im go!" the big one chuckled. Then he got real close to my face. His breath smelled like alcohol and rotten meat. "No, little shrimp. I think we're gonna keep you here a while. It's been a few weeks since we had a toy to play with!" he said menacingly. I shivered in his grasp and he laughed at me. Then he threw me at the group of other guys and yelled, "Go ahead boys! Have your fun before we throw 'im in the room with that other little freak!"

I flew right into a fat guy with a scar across his whole face. He smirked at me and grabbed me by the neck. As I was dangling in the air, gasping for breath, the others advanced. They punched me and kicked me. They ripped my clothing and sliced my skin with their knives. I would've shrieked in pain if I hadn't been choking. Finally, they finished beating me up the fat guy dropped me and I took in a huge amount of air. I was in so much pain, bleeding, bruised, and I'm almost positive they broke something. Then they laughed at me again and threw me in a pitch black room, and I landed against something squishy and warm.

"Ahhh! What have you rotten pig-smellies thrown on me?! I demand you let me out now, or you will suffer my wrath!" a voice said. I heard the guys laugh as they shut the door. Then I felt something shove me back and the voice said again, "Get off me you filthy who-ever-you-are!" I blinked in the darkness.

"….Zim?"

Silence.

"…Dib-worm? What are you doing in here?" the voice said.

So it was Zim. How in the world did he end up in here with these thugs? I wondered.

"I could ask you the same thing, Zim. What're you doing in this part of the city? And how'd you get mixed up with these goons?" I asked. My eyes were beginning to adjust to the light and I could barely make out his shape in the darkness.

"I was planning another stinking plan to get rid of this smelly planet, but then those humans cornered me and asked me for Earth-monies. I said I didn't have any and they jumped at me and pulled out these cold, sharp, metalish things and pushed them into my skin. It hurt like a Squiggle-snort sting. *gag* …And the sting still hasn't left, and now it hurts to move. And all my blood coming out isn't helping." He said wearily.

I looked at the shadowy figure in shock. "You got…stabbed?" I asked like it wasn't possible. "If that's what you humans call it, yes. And it *gag* hurts. IT HURTS ZIM!" he yelled then I heard him gag again and now the figure was crouched over, breathing heavily.

I didn't know what to make of this. Somehow, I never imagined this kind of thing could even happen to Zim, I didn't even know he could bleed. With every gag he made, the more the realism hit me. He's wounded, badly, from what I can hear. I thought, and even though I knew I should've felt a smug satisfaction, I looked at the dark form with a tiny bit of pity. Then, instinctively, I felt my own side where they cut me, and just as I thought, I felt my warm, sticky blood gushing from the wound. It was then I started to feel dizzy and the pain grew more intense. I clutched my side and gasped loudly in pain.

"What's the matter with you, Dib-monkey?" Zim asked, rather loudly. I looked up at the blob. It was closer and I could hear his staggered breathing more clearly. It sounded really bad. "They cut me too. I'm bleeding really bad." I said.

"I know. I can smell it. I meant why on Irk did you come in here?! Are you as stupid as the other humans?!" he was angry now. I couldn't imagine why it would matter to him, though. "I just wanted to get out of the cold…" I breathed. He made a grunting sound like he understood. Then I heard him get up. He gagged loudly and he was breathing really heavily in staggered huffs. "We…need to get out of here…" he said, half out of breath. I nodded in the darkness and then felt a hand pull me up. "Dib, quickly, do you have some sort of acid with you?" he asked. "Oh yeah. Like I always carry around a cup of acid in my pocket." I muttered sarcastically. Oh wait…I have a battery in my iPod. I thought and I popped it out and held it out in the darkness. "Will battery acid do?" I said. The figure nodded and felt around a bit before it found my hand and took the battery.

I couldn't tell what he was doing now but I saw a bright light flash suddenly as whatever he was doing set of a spark. Then he yelled 'Done!' and grabbed my arm. Suddenly, a bright green laser shot out from one of his spider legs and began to dissolve the concrete wall. Then the guys in the other room heard the noise and came rushing. Zim increased the intensity as they ran toward us, breaking through the wall and pushing me out. "GO!" he yelled and then I flew out into the alley.

That's when I heard it. A loud shot echoed from the room and I turned around at the sound. Smoke was pouring out of the room and through the haze, I saw Zim stumble out. He was clutching his stomach and his eyes were wide. He took a few more steps toward me then stopped. I looked down and saw the dark green liquid staining his shirt. I looked back up at him just in time to see his eyes close and he fell forward into my arms. I felt his limp body in my grasp and saw the green blood dripping on the sidewalk. My eyes stretched wide.

"Zim? ZIM?!" I screamed. He didn't answer. He didn't move. The only thing that let me know he was still alive was his shallow breathing.

I didn't know what to do. Here we were, mortal enemies, bleeding and hurt in a dark alley somewhere in the city on a freezing night, and I didn't know if Zim was going to get back up or not. Finally, I lifted his body up on my shoulder and carried his out of the alley an back toward my house. This went against everything I knew, but I couldn't just leave him there to die. But why couldn't I? So many times, I dreamed of the moment Zim was dead at my hands, and now that he was in my arms, so close to death, all I thought about was getting him to my house and helping him. I understood nothing about what I was doing or why, but all I knew was that things wouldn't ever be the same. How much it would change, I had yet to find out.

(Should I continue? If I get a request, I promise there will be more ZaDr. Right now I was just developing how it starts.)