I have no idea why I wrote this 0_0 I guess I just felt like it ^_^
WARNING: It is pretty sad...and confusing. Just finish the story and it should make more sense.
By the way: no relation to Uprising whatsoever. This was written just because I felt like writing it. Meaning there is some suggestive ZADR and stuff (WHICH DOES NOT FEATURE IN UPRISING AT ALL!)
So yeah...enjoy.
"When did he arrive?" the two orderlies tried keeping up with their commander who was storming down the narrow corridor.
"An hour ago, Sir. You were in a meeting, we had to…" one tried but was immediately silenced by the boom of a terrifying voice, "You should have called me sooner! What's his condition?"
"He's not going to last much longer, Sir. But he is responsive at the moment for you to question him…" the other mumbled, glancing over the chart in his hand.
"The problem is getting him to shut up. He keeps yelling to talk to you," his fellow doctor grumbled, still rather ticked that he had dared to have been called a 'Filthy Monkey surgeon with a Cereal Box Degree' by their new guest.
"Sounds about right," Dib let out in an already tired breath.
The steel doors were pushed open by the doctors, Dib's pace not even wavering. The cold air that rushed over him gave his spine a little shiver. It felt as though he had just walked into a meat packing plant and this was one of the fridges.
And with their visitor's current state, it might well have been. Dib's fiery pace had now halted somewhat as he stared at the bloodied body before him. Calves torn to pieces by bullet holes. The men had to stop him running. He was fast the last time Dib saw him. His torso was covered with seared skin. The electric whips had been used on him…or perhaps the rain outside. They both had a similar effect. The rest of his ragged body was covered with bruises, bite marks, old infected scrapes and grazes, and sweat. He was filthy, surprising for someone who was a germaphob. But in this harsh war zone, everyone was desperate.
Two nurses tried as hard as they could to restrain the clawing madman who this broken body belonged to. For someone practically dying, he was putting up quite the fight, "Get away from me! Bring me the Human! Bring me…!" he stopped, finally noticing the new additions to the room. His arms that were strangling the young twenty year old dropped slowly as his expression changed. He swallowed, but remained sitting upright as he stared blankly at Dib. He hadn't changed much. He still looked…like that same pathetic individual he had seen when he arrived to this Godforsaken planet all those years ago, "Dib."
Dib gave no reply, simply staring back at his archenemy. He took a step forward. Then another. They felt heavy. Forced. As though his body was disagreeing with what his mind was telling it, "Leave. Now. All of you. I need to speak with this one alone."
The doctors shared a worried glance. Could they leave their commander alone with this scum? Was it safe?
They nodded and made their way out as Dib moved further into the room, his hands resting at the base of his back, held tightly together. It became habit now over how often he did it.
He called the shots around here. He wasn't in charge of the Resistance entirely. His father – that moronic individual – was head of the operation due to his standing in their previous life. He had the technology. He had the authority. He had the power.
But more importantly, he had the technology. That was all the desperate humans needed right now. Something to protect them from the Invaders. Something to give them some form of a chance.
Even though it irked him that such a man was now in charge of everything, he was still grateful for the respect. Even though it took a planetary invasion from the Irkens to get people to listen to him…they were finally listening. That's all he wanted. All he ever wanted.
But there were still a few loose ends to tie up.
He walked over to one of the cracked monitors, his lens reflecting the falling vitals, "Been a while now, Zim."
"Not long enough," the alien smirked, his once powerful loud voice an echo of what it used to be.
"Figured you were dead," Dib remarked, knowing Zim could tell he was lying.
But the alien didn't make mention of it. He didn't have much time left to squabble over lies like that, "I came here to talk to you, Human. While I have the chance…" Zim coughed slightly, still sitting up but looking as though he were about to collapse at any moment.
"We have nothing left to talk about, Zim," Dib finally turned to face him. Something stuck in his throat as Zim's dull eyes stared at him, a half grin present on his paling face. Dib fell silent, still as a fallen rain drop. Zim's grin softened, "Yeah we do."
Zim looked away as Dib began speaking again, "You were meant to leave. I told you to take that damn ship of yours and leave while you still had the chance…!"
"They got to it before I did, Human," Zim closed his eyes, the grin remaining.
Dib felt his flow of words hiccup, but he didn't want the alien to notice that either, "Then you stayed in hiding. Why did you come back out? You said you came here. You could have…"
"Dib, I'm dying," Zim looked back up at him, his tone slightly harsher, but still subdued. Dib looked at him, still trying to mask his feelings from the alien. No, he couldn't show weakness. He could never show weakness to him again.
Zim didn't move away this time, still staring at Dib, "I'm dying because of you, Dib."
"Figures you'd blame me, you always did," Dib sneered.
Zim gave a slight laugh, "Yeah. Look, you gave me something a few years ago. Something you need to take back. You need to look after it. Protect it. I can't because of…well, you know…dying and whatnot."
"What the hell are you going on about, Zim?" Dib tried, his visage fading, his face giving way to his emotions of bewilderment.
Zim coughed once more, covering his mouth now with one of his bandage-covered mitts. They were filthy. Soaked in his green blood. Something the old Zim would have immediately thrown off while yelling hysterically in terror. He wiped the drops of blood from his mouth and looked up at the human, "They said I only had a year left afterwards. But I proved them wrong. Zim always proves them wrong. I guess…you can't always outrun your fate, though."
Dib shook his head, "Stop it, Zim. Tell me what's going on!"
"I promised you I would never tell, Dib. That I would leave and that would be the end of it. So that both you and I could live out our lives as though nothing happened and our leaders wouldn't…wouldn't…" Zim was running out of words now, along with breath.
Dib marched over to him and grabbed a hold of his shoulders, no clothing left on him to grab. All he had to cover him was a torn grey blanket the doctors threw over him when they brought him in, thinking he had already passed. Imagine their shock when the blanket sat up and began screaming for Dib.
"Zim!" Dib screamed, "What have you done?!"
Zim looked at him, his neck loose now as his muscles grew weaker. He could feel everything go weak, "It's what you did to me, Dib."
"It meant nothing! I hated you! I still hate you!" he lost control over his calm nature now, trying to deny everything while he still could. While Zim was still breathing and bleeding all over him.
"Your mouth says hate, Human…" Zim smiled for the first time now, his hand being placed over Dib's scarred cheek, "But your eyes, Dib. You can't lie with those."
Dib's look twisted, his breath becoming panicked, "You're full of shit, Zim."
He let go of the limp alien, Zim falling backwards, his breaths escaping him as he tried speaking, "That old Warehouse you stored Tak's decrepit ship in….Storage Room 8, door 6…you'll find…" Zim struggled, teeth gritting as the pain increased around his body.
Dib stared at him, "Find what? Zim, what will I find?!"
He grabbed the alien's neck now, pulling him up. But he could feel Zim's life slip out of him. The Irken looked at him one last time, "Please, Human…don't scare…" Zim's words fell. The Irken was no more. Dib dropped the deadweight on the bed and ran out, pushing past the doctors and nurses as he made for one of the vehicles. He couldn't wait. He had to know.
He had lived with that mistake of a night for three years now. It was after college, before the war had begun. He and the enemy had broken one of the most important rules of warfare and had become…friends. They argued like nothing else and often fought over idiotic things…but they did it in a way that made it okay.
And then one night, Dib showed his weakness. As did Zim. The two regretted it. At the time they loved it, but they knew they would regret it. And they did.
When the Armada came, things changed. Zim swore he didn't bring them here. That he didn't know. Dib didn't believe him. He brought out his gun and threatened the alien…but that was all he could do. He froze. He stuttered. He couldn't. He knew he couldn't. And Zim knew it as well.
Dib told him to leave. That they were now and forever more enemies once more. That their relationship as friends…and beyond…it was now nothing more than a forgotten memory. Zim, though not in full support of it, agreed with the terms and made a run for it, going for his ship, leaving to join his leaders and fight as one of the invaders Dib would eventually kill.
But that's not what happened. Zim's ship was taken. Zim was stuck here. And he knew Dib didn't want him back. So he hid away. He stayed away.
Dib gritted his teeth as the armoured vehicle screamed through the quiet, fire ridden streets. What did I do?
The rusted truck came to a stop outside the old buildings. This place was near demolished. Some of the storage houses were still standing, but barely. It was not suitable for living in, and the Irkens left it alone, knowing no one was dumb enough to hide here.
Dib jumped out, gun in hand as he made his way inside, passing the wired gate as he went. The smoke in the air was sickening, but you either got used to it, or died trying. He kept his eyes trained on the walls. Intruders weren't on his mind at present. He was looking for numbers.
'105'
'36'
"Where is it?"
'29'
'41'
"Where is it?!"
'3'
'12'
Dib was beginning to lose hope now. Did Zim lie? Trying to get the jump on the human? Maybe he had gone back to the Empire after all and was sent in to get the Resistance's commander out!
No. Zim came on his own terms. He wouldn't have let the humans rough him up so badly. He wouldn't have been in such a state.
He wouldn't have been…
Dib stopped, feeling his body go numb. Storage Room 8. He swallowed hard and made his way over to it, his gun up as he walked into the hanger. The roof above was gone, wires and metal bars hanging dangerously above. The floor was littered with wet horrid smelling pages, some unreadable. That's what happens when you leave them out in the rain.
Dib recognised this place well enough. He brought Zim here once a long time ago to see if the Irken would have any luck on the ship. His dad told him he had to take his 'plaything' out of their place as the neighbours had started complaining about the tentacles ripping through their fences while Dib tried fixing it.
Zim said it was in pretty bad shape and would need a lot of work. They eventually gave up on it. Dib had left it here. Zim was probably trying to fix it up. Trying to get away.
He turned on his heel, something being heard to his side. He walked over to it, gun up and ready. His hand quaked a little. Was he nervous? Of course he was bloody nervous! God knows what Zim left behind for him to find. He was never able to tell what the damn fool was planning for him next. He placed the shaky hand on the handle of the door…Door 6. He opened it slowly, patiently…before he flung it open, taking position in one step, gun outstretched as he looked around.
There was no one here. This corridor was empty. But the sound was still there. A sound of…someone. A definite voice could be associated to it. He began taking steps forward, uncomfortable with how it was echoing in this room. It was very dark in here, his flashlight connected to the gun being his only guide at the moment. He pointed it at the floor, hoping not to trip over his feet. Bones…more bones. They led up to a skull. It was Vortian. Dib took a step back to get a better point of view. The numerous holes in the wall suggested shots were fired here. Many guns. It wasn't Zim.
A part of him thought that was a surprise. The other was almost relieved.
He continued down the corridor, the sound becoming more audible now. It was still soft, but maybe it was meant to be. This person was hiding. They were doing a lousy job of it, though. Dib felt something sink in his stomach, something occurring to him. He shook off the thought and walked into the room this corridor led into. The room where the old ship had been hidden.
And there it still lay. Completely destroyed. Nothing had been added or removed from it from when Dib had last seen it.
The room had a stale smell to it. There were a few food packets lying around the place. Green blood-soaked cloths scattered the floor.
Zim wasn't trying to escape. He…he had been living here.
Dib brought the gun up, the sound a little louder now. Whoever was here knew he was here now too. But where were they?
The ship. They were in the ship. Dib slowly moved closer towards it, the feeling of weakness growing and spreading from his chest to his arms and legs now.
He moved close enough now to just see over the dashboard. And there on the seat was the noise-maker.
Small. Fair skinned with hints of green. Strange shaped antennae and black musky locks.
Dib dropped the gun, tears forming in his eyes as the scared crying three year old looked up at him, "Where's my Daddy?"
Dib felt his legs go next as he fell to his knees, covering his mouth, holding back yells for help.
Those pink eyes would forever haunt him as his son stared at him, begging for answers.
Ah! That final line! So sad DX
I think I wrote this thing in half an hour after working and stuff today. I was reading through another fic and I just thought to myself 'Why not?' and wrote this.
Seeing as the cover didn't come out very nicely here, you can check it out on my DA account (I'm posting it with this story there as well).
PLEASE review and let me know what you thought. I know a lot of things don't quite tie up (like people might wonder why there was a random Vortian skull there) but it was there for a reason. It ties in with previous events that you guys are meant to think about.
If you don't feel like thinking, just leave me a review and I'll try and explain it more. But stories like this are cooler the less explained they are. It isn't meant to be detailed like Uprising or Love and Marriage because of how short it is.
So yeah.
Review :p
