There's Something Inside Your Head (Invader ZiM AU)

Episode 0

"DIB! PUT THE GUN AND THE GIRL DOWN!" Gaz pushed through the crowed, shaking. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!"

"OH, and what are YOU going to do, GAZLENE? Not tell me how much I actually mean to you until it benefits you MOST?"

"WHAT DOES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH THIS? I DON'T DO THAT!"

"Oh, SURE! ACT LIKE YOU ACTUALLY CARE ABOUT SAVING THESE PEOPLE!" Pilot sims the gun at the ceiling, pulling the trigger. It fires a couple times, causing small rubble from above and a few scrams from the room. Pilot runs, dragging a struggling Carrie along.

"Dib," Carrie's tears were breaking through. "You can hear me. I know you can," she tried her best to keep her voice from shaking. But her best wasn't enough. "Please, Dib—" Pilot's hold began to choke her. "Please—please.. it's me.. Dib.."

Suddenly, Dib's arms began to soften, along with his eyes. "..Carrie.." he whispered.

Gaz, not letting her goddamn brother get away, stood a foot from him. "...give me the gun, Dib."

Shakily, Dib's other arm reached out, frightened, to give his sister the weapon.

Unfortunately, someone behind him, who thought they could try to help, ended up hitting Dib from behind, which just sent the gun to the floor and closer to himself than to Gaz. He hissed, and he stood back up as Pilot. He kicked up the weapon, turned around, and shot at the poor kid.

Carrie let out a scream, trying to struggle away from her boyfriend's grip.

"DIB!" Gaz screamed, and students rushed to the other person.

Carrie, in a surge of adrenaline and fear, used all her force to knock Pilot's other arm back to send the gun dropping back to the floor. "DIB!" She tried once more. "PLEASE! Dib! I'm here! Your sister's here! We both love you, please!"

Dib shook his head, the two versions of himself trying to decide who was real at the moment and who was not. It was a strange battle to look at, but a horrifying one to experience.

"Carrie.." Dib's legs started to give out, and he started to drop to the floor. Carrie held him, trying to keep him upright. Dib's gaze shifted from the girl, to the Gaz, then to the gun. "Gaz..." he kicked the gun towards his sister. "Gaz, you promised me..."

Gaz picked up the gun, registering what he said. "...Dib, no. There's another way." She looked at him. "There's gotta be."

"No.." Dib shook his head, which just got faster. "You promised..."

"Dib—"

"NO," he roared, knocking Carrie back. She fell backwards, continuing to sob. "I'M HERE! FOREVER!" Pilot curled down, cringing, allowing one final message from Ghost:

"...do it, Gaz," the pain in his voice was enough to ruin someone's life. "Please. Do it. I can't risk him coming back and hurting anyone else." ... "I can't win this, Gaz."

Gaz's eyes were watering up, and she couldn't keep herself from crying any longer. "Dib.."

Pilot stood back up, making some animalistic noise. Carrie jumped up as well, but only to grab ahold of Pilot to keep himself struggling to get away. "BITCH," he growled, wobbling.

Then, Gaz aimed the gun, closed her eyes, and pulled the trigger. About five times.

Once.

Carrie screamed.

Twice.

Everyone got what was going on, and gasped.

Three times.

Dib's knees started to give out again.

Four times.

The scary facial expression on Dib began to fade.

Five times.

He fell into Carrie's arms.

Carrie screamed again. This time, not of fear, but of sorrow.

She held Dib's body tight to her own, her tears hitting against his suit.

"Carrie..." someone from inside of him called out. "Carrie..." his eyes began to close, and his body went still and heavy.

A final sigh came from his mouth.

The gym was quiet.

Gaz was silently shaking and sobbing, not wanting to hold the gun a second longer.

Dib's body was getting cold.

Carrie's cries were getting nowhere better, but she had to do something. She had to.

So, as a final goodbye to the man in her lap and arms, she did the one thing she knew to to:

A shaky hand went over his half-closed eyelids to make them shut for good.

"Go to sleep," she quoted. "My poor, tormented love."