Sleeper Agent 1

"Sleeper Agent"

'Chapter One'

By: BaffledFox & AngelNocturne


/Tick. Tick./

/Tick. Tick./

"Doom… Doom… Doom…."

It was a hideous duet of brain-rotting boredom that filled Mrs. Bitters' classroom, the song of another day of learning and drudgery. The sound of the clock moving its hands and of the teacher droning from her desk had enveloped the room for a good hour without interruption, and it appeared that it would continue that way.

No resistance was met to the typical, expected display, accompanied by the same dull eyes staring ahead at the blackboard, the same scraping of pencil lead against flat sheets of plant matter shavings, the same empty heads and hollow gazes and vain attempts at absorbing useless information -- all save for two people sitting in the front row, the only live ones among the pitiful lot.

Zim's false indigo orbs glanced suspiciously in the direction of the raven-haired youth positioned by the window, though the movement was slight and unnoticed by the teacher drone before him. She never noticed much anyways, except for the extremely loud outbursts made by Dib and even then, she'd begun to ignore the majority and somehow continue to intone their inevitable demise like he'd said nothing. Three years of Dib did that to everyone, it seemed-though why they still had her for an education officer after so long Zim had no desire to comprehend.

The disguised Irken kept his hands clasped in a saintly manner on the desk, the image of an attentive student-worm, but he'd begun to lax his pose over the last ten minutes.

He was so BORED.

Like when he had to bear through the training beneath the surface of Irk. It was practically unbearable-how the humans managed to get anything out these primitive educational courses was beyond him and for that he was grateful. It made them stupid and easier to conquer.

Which he would do, of that there was no doubt. He'd been on this filthy mud ball for all of three Earth years, hardly a dent in the aspect of Irken-and therefore SUPERIOR time-but too long for Zim's liking nonetheless. One of these days he'd have the planet laid to waste, the inhabitants groveling beneath the might of his iron fist-SO IRON-Y IT WAS, and full of FISTY GOODNESS-oh it would happen, it would…!

As long as the Dib-human didn't ruin his plans first.

Oh yes. The DIB.

Zim suspicious glance transformed into a diluted glare. He was the one obstacle that remained in the Invader's way to claiming the Earth for his Tallest and fulfilling his mission. After so many countless plots to get rid of him the boy continued to overthrow them and survive like a filthy Earth cockroach. It had become so much so that Zim's quest had shifted from conquering Earth to battling with the Dib-stink on a constant basis. Not that it made any difference-defeating the young planetary guardian was just as much a victory as any, and brought him one step closer to his goal.

It was all a matter of time. And skill. Zim had plenty of the latter, he was simply THAT amazing. Time also seemed to be in abundance, judging from the slow trudge of the clock hands that mocked him with their slow progress towards the foodening signal.

Well, if he was going to be stuck here…

Zim set a piece of paper before him and jotted down a message with the pathetic excuse for a writing utensil he was provided with.

'Having fun over there, Dib-beast?

Your head is big.

-THE ALMIGHTY ZIM'

He drew a small planet Earth with him atop of it, laughing. Zim smirked to himself at the ingenious level of his drawing ability. Really, he was spectacular at everything, wasn't he? With a quick glance at Mrs. Bitters to ensure that her attention was elsewhere-and that she wasn't right next to him, hissing, like she sometimes managed to do--Zim quietly crumpled the note into a lethal wad of sharp edged DOOM, and launched the weapon with all his might and accuracy at the gigantic cranium of his nemesis.

Surely he wouldn't miss. It was difficult to with such an obvious target.

Dib wasn't paying attention to class, not today.

His head was propped up on his hand, tilted towards the window, the warm sunlight kissing his porcelain skin; highlighting the glasses that always adorned his face. His free hand absently twirled a pencil and his right foot was jiggling in the usual manner.

Dib didn't really stop moving, not ever.

Whether it was nervous jitters, his natural anxiety, or something else he didn't know but he wasn't even conscious of the movements.

He felt overly tired, but then again, he spent every hour following the Irken, spying on his base and even managed to attach himself to the roof without detection so he could gain more audio tapes.

But, it was a trying task.

Zim didn't sleep, not really, not that Dib could tell since the alien was always there whenever he turned a corner or tried to sneak past his defenses. Fights had taken place as they normally did; but the only visible wound the boy had was a healing cut over his eye, the others were bruises or cuts hidden beneath clothing.

Dib certainly wanted to keep the Earth safe and all of its inhabitants, but overworking like he was left him vulnerable to his arch enemy.

For Earth.

This was all for the safety of Earth.

He'd get the alien one day.

He'd save Earth and expose him, even if it took his whole lifetime.

"Zim won't take over the planet." Dib hadn't been aware he had spoken aloud until he got a jab in the back with a pencil and his tranquil daydreaming had been extinguished. He frowned, coming back to reality, shifting in his seat so he could stare down at his desk. He blinked hard trying to keep himself alert and awake but it was getting difficult.

'It's almost lunch. I just need a little food, then I'll be fine. Can't let Zim get a leg up on me.'

Dib had missed the lesson, his paper blank, his pencil having created scribbles from its constant movement. Ah well, he could make things up tomorrow when he got a better night's sleep.

Just as that thought passed through his mind something hit him in the side of the head. He winced, the paper skewing his glasses but not doing much else as it landed innocently on his desk. His brow furrowed before he shot a look in the direction of the alien menace.

Zim had smirked to himself, a wicked chuckle escaping his lips when he'd seen the projectile find its mark and the way Dib's sight devices were set off-kilter. The look the boy gave was returned with an arrogant lifting of Zim's chin. 'Yes, that's right-you have been injured by the greatness that is your future slave master! Bow down already in defeat!'

It would happen one of these days, in one of these fights. He would win. He would show Dib that there was no way for him succeed, that Zim was superior and then, and THEN, he would present this wretched rotating dirt mass to his Tallest. And they would give him the respect that was rightfully due to him, for fulfilling this mission. That was all that mattered, and it would happen.

Zim could have no doubts. Not now. Not when he'd been on this planet for so long with no contact from his rulers for nearly half an Earth year.

Dib turned his attention back on the paper, untangling it from the mess Zim made of it before reading the note. Once read he shoved the paper aside, writing on one of his own in response to the Irken.

'Yup. I'm thinking of all the ways I can expose you for what you really are! You won't even know what's coming.

My head is not big!

-- Dib'

He folded the edges of the paper as perfectly as he could, making a nice paper airplane with a sharpened point. With precision that clearly showed they did this often he threw the paper at his enemy hoping it'd hit him in the eye.

The human had begun to busy himself with something on his desk, and Zim grew bored of watching the activity. Instead he returned to his own set of tree shavings and began to scribble, the dull speech of the teacher drone already faded out into background noise. He began with sketches of Earth, from what he'd seen from his occasional visits to his moon base, and then with the Massive shooting it with the Organic Sweep Cannon. Hmm. No, that wasn't destructive enough for his tastes. With furious erasing he removed the giant Irken ship from the picture and added a giant robot crushing the planet. With Zim piloting it. Ooh yes, that was MUCH bette-

Or at least he thought so before something pointy stabbed him in the corner of his left eye, causing him to yelp in surprise. "EH?!" His hand shot up and grabbed the offending paper airship, and his gaze flew over to where Dib was. A nasty retort curled at the tip of his segmented tongue-

Dib grinned to himself as the airplane hit its mark, stabbing the eye of the invader and provoking an outburst which Mrs. Bitters immediately attacked.

Victory for Earth!

"Zim, no more noise!" The Invader twitched as he turned to see Mrs. Bitters piercing him with a gaze obscured by cat-eye shaped spectacles. "Or I'll send you to the underground classroom, where you should have gone MONTHS ago. Is that clear?"

Zim sat up straight and saluted stiffly. "Yes sir!" His eyes slid over to glare at Dib. Curse the human for getting him noticed by the teacher drone!

Ms. Bitters growled hoarsely in something that might have been approval. "Good. Though you're still doomed anyways." She started her lesson again, more mutterings of DOOM with the slight inclusion of pronouns being groused beginning anew.

Zim slumped back out of attention and shot a harsh glower at his archenemy. Despite his fuming manner this really wasn't anything new. This was their typical battle, one of verbal blows and snide come backs and getting the other in trouble. They'd been doing more of those lately than actual battles of galactic status. Still important, Zim reminded himself. Any little blow to either of them was set on the scoreboard, long and worn as it was. It still counted, though who was winning was lost on both of them. Or at least on the Invader. But he was sure he was, in any case.

With a 'hmph' he unfolded the paper plane and read the return message. A malicious smirk reformed on his lips and he scribbled beneath it,

'HA! Zim always knows, silly human! And it will fail, just like all the others.

Yes, it IS large! Zim says it is, which makes it so.

-RULER OF ALL PIG-SMELLIES'

Satisfied with the results he refolded the paper back into the plane-shape, making adjustments to the nose and the edges of the wings to make it more aerodynamic. And then it was off, soaring from Zim's hand with the Invader's leering gaze watching it onward.

Dib wasn't going to be caught off-guard again and as the innocent little plane drew near Dib reached up and flattened it between his hands in a great slapping sound which alerted the teacher's angry gaze.

Dib immediately regretted his decision, slowly lowering his hands when the shadow of the teacher loomed before the bell rang and saved him from obvious fury.

"Go now!" She hissed, just a foot from Dib's desk, her clawed hand exposed from her shadow-like dress before she melted over her desk to sit behind it in a wraith-like fashion.

Dib waited for the rest of his row to get up before he gathered up his papers in his folder and stuffed his pencils in his pockets along with Zim's un-read note. Their paper battle could commence again after lunch when class started again -- it would give him something to focus on because the actual lesson wasn't gaining his attention.

The class was empty aside from the teacher, Dib, and Zim. The soon-to-be paranormal investigator stood up from his seat and started to the door his gold eyes on the Irken silently challenging him to try anything. His body was tense as he started to pass Zim's desk having to take his eyes off the alien as he opened the classroom door.

Zim glared back with equal vehemence. THAT would teach the child not to mess with him, though he'd rather defeat the human by his own hands than see his end at the teacher drone's. He had fought Dib for this long-that victory was as imperative to his goal as winning the Earth was. Defeating Dib meant getting to conquer the planet, and only then would he feel satisfied.

The mission may have been the only thing that mattered, but Zim had made Dib a part of it. He hadn't lost to the boy that many times to not be allowed the pleasure of a final victory. And then it would be over, and he'd no longer have to deal with the Dib-worm. No one to bug him or watch him or question what he did.

No one-but he'd have respect and veneration. That's what would count, when he became Tallest.