The Nightmare Ends

by Spectra

It's the not too distant future and Dib has finally proven to the world that Zim is an alien! He's lovin' all the fame this brings him, but a visit to the research lab where Zim is being held makes him wonder if he did the right thing... *New Title 2011*

*Author's Note:  Okay, about 99% of this fanfic is completely Out of Character and I'm absolutely positive that this would NEVER happen on the show, but if stuff like this did happen on the show, then there'd be no need to write fanfiction, right?  These are just my thoughts on a possible ending to the show.  But please don't write to me and complain that 'That could never happen!' or 'Zim would NEVER say that!'  I KNOW that it is largely OOC, but hopefully I wrote it in a way that may convince you that 'it's possible' or make you say "Okay, I GUESS that could happen."  It's pretty much a drama so I hope that explains it a bit.  It's also my first fanfic I ever completed, so cut me a little slack if you think it bites, kay?  All right, I'm done, so please enjoy the first and only fanfic that I've ever actually finished! ^_^

A New Beginning

The large crowd of people watched in total silence as a man in a black suit made his way up to the podium.  Trailing behind him were three more people: A man in a white lab-coat, another man in a black suit, and a short boy wearing a black trench coat over a blue, smiley-face T-shirt.  The first man in black stepped up and adjusted the microphone. 

            "Ladies and Gentlemen... Members of the Press..."  He paused and pushed his sunglasses up on his nose.  "Today marks a great moment in the history of, not only the United States, but the world as we know it, for today we have confirmed that there IS life on other worlds!" 

            The crowd gasped and began to chatter amongst themselves and hundreds of camera flashes began to go off.  "An alien being was discovered on our planet just a few days ago, living amongst the general population, and was taken into custody by the US Government."

            The crowd, which had gone totally still began to cheer, and the man in black held up a hand for silence.  After the commotion had subsided a bit, he gestured over to where the boy with the black coat stood.  "And now, here is the person responsible for bringing this extraterrestrial being to our attention...  Dib!"

            As the man said his name, Dib stepped forward.  The crowd of people was now cheering louder than ever, and because of this, Dib's last name was drowned out.  Several reporters and cameramen tried to fight their way up to the stage and immediately, Dib was bombarded with a hundred questions.  He just smiled coolly and pointed to a woman reporter.  "Mr. Dib, just how did you discover the alien?" she shouted.

            "I've always known that Zim was an alien," said Dib, "I..."

            "Uh, Zim?" interrupted the reporter.

            "Yes.  Zim is the name of the alien.  Now, as I was saying, I just couldn't prove it.  No one seemed to believe me when I pointed out that Zim wasn't one of us, and they all thought I was crazy, until..."

            Dib smirked to himself as he flashed back to the day when he'd finally exposed Zim.  It hadn't been easy, but Dib had finally managed to convince the Government that an alien was going to his skool and posing as an Earth kid.  Once the Government got involved it was only a matter of time before Zim was captured.  Dib had watched the scene, grinning as Zim was dragged, struggling and screaming, from his house. 

            Dib happily answered the rest of the reporter's questions, but stepped down from the podium after a few minutes so the man in the lab coat, whom the man in black introduced as Dr. Mono, could make a speech.  He cleared his throat and began, "As head of research, I can assure you all that we will plan to pull out all the stops.  We will find out what this thing is, where it comes from, and how it got here.  Also, extensive testing and experimentation will be done on the alien in order to find out everything we can about it.  Thank you," Dr. Mono backed down and the second man in black led him and Dib off the stage while the first man in black tried to keep order in the room.  As he descended the stairs, Dib couldn't help but walk a little taller.  He was a hero.  The entire world knew that he, Dib, was responsible for proving the existence of alien life, and that he had prevented the impending invasion.  He had truly done the paranormal community proud, and now he was enjoying his moment in the spotlight. 

            In a few more days, Dib was on every magazine cover in the country, and in a few weeks he'd already appeared on every talk show.  His name became more and more well known all over the world and he was finally getting the recognition that he always knew he deserved.  It wasn't until about two weeks after Zim had first been captured that Dib was scheduled to finally visit the research laboratory where the alien was being held.  A limousine was sent, and after a few hours of driving, a short helicopter ride, and a ton of clearance checks, Dib finally stood in the main hall of the research compound.  The same man in black that had been at the public announcement before greeted him.  "Hello, young man.  I'm Agent Kel," he said in a monotone voice.

            "Uh, I already knew that.  I met you before, remember?" Dib looked at him and lowered an eyebrow.

            "Just testing you," Agent Kel responded, looking Dib up and down suspiciously through his dark glasses.  "You can never be too careful.  Now, put this on and follow me," he said, handing Dib a white lab coat.  Dib slipped the white coat over his black one and proceeded to walk behind Agent Kel.  They had to go through several security points before they finally stepped into a large room filled with computers and monitory equipment.  He noticed a bunch of people in lab coats meandering around the room, some writing on clipboards, some working with test tubes, and some clicking away on computers.  Dr. Mono was there too, and he turned as Dib came in.

            "Ah!  Welcome, Mister... Um..." the doctor scratched his head and struggled for the name.

            "Dib," Dib informed him, lowering his eyebrows.  He was getting pretty annoyed.  How hard was it to remember a simple name like Dib?

            "Oh, of course, Professor Membrane's son," the doctor went on, not noticing Dib's irritation.  "I assume you're here to see the alien?  Well then, follow me," Dr. Mono instructed, and led Dib over to a small tube made of glass which was covered by a metal shield.  With a beaming grin, the doctor pushed a button on the side of the tube and the shield 'whooshed' aside.  "Here he is!"

            Dib knew what he would see when the metal shield opened.  He'd see Zim, with that same smug, superior look on his face; with that same 'I'm better than you' stance he always seemed to stand in.  He'd see the Zim that had taunted and threatened him, and made his life completely miserable.  Dib drew his brows together in anticipation, his mind burning with the thought of staring into Zim's cold, magenta eyes as if to say, "I won, Zim, I finally defeated you!" But when the shield was pulled aside, Dib could only drop his jaw in total shock.  He couldn't believe what he was seeing.

            Zim sat on the floor with his back slumped up against the glass.  His arms were hanging limply at his side and his head hung on his shoulders as if he hadn't the strength to hold it up.  He'd clearly lost a lot of weight, and that was pretty bad considering he was already very small to begin with.  His red shirt, which now hung loosely on him, was in tatters, his boots and gloves were scuffed and worn, and his ever-present backpack had been removed.  His skin, once a vibrant green, was now a pale gray, and his antennae drooped down over his closed eyelids.

            Dib never in his life thought he'd see Zim this way and was quite astonished at his dilapidated state.  As Dib stared through the glass, Zim's large eyes slowly began to open and he turned his head towards the three observers.  Zim's eyes met with Dib's.  At the sight of Dib, they widened a bit, and Dib expected him to jump up and start pounding on the glass, clawing at it and trying to get at him.  Screaming, and glaring at him with burning hatred.  Trying with all his might to strike back at the one who'd imprisoned him.  But Zim's gaze was completely lifeless and he only stared blankly into Dib's eyes.  They gazed at each other like that for a few more seconds. Then Zim lowered his eyelids sadly and turned his gaze to the floor, clutching his knees and drawing them up to his chest. 

            Dib couldn't believe that the very same alien that had made his life unbearable at every turn was the same sad, broken creature that was now sitting in front of him.  Dib was terribly confused.  When he had looked into Zim's eyes, although at first glance they'd seemed empty and devoid of anything, there had been something present in them that he didn't want to admit he could see, something that he never thought he would see, and suddenly he felt a sharp pang in his chest. 

            "Amazing, isn't it?"  Dib jumped as Dr. Mono's voice cut through his thoughts.  "We've discovered that this alien is from a race known as Irkens, and that live on a planet they call Irk.  We've also discovered much about its anatomy and biochemistry.  Oh, and we also found this…" Dr. Mono waved his hand towards an examining table where a small heap of metal was hooked up to what looked like hundreds of wires and probes.  "It tried to rescue the alien.  We suspect it's some sort of robotic servant, although from what we've seen it certainly isn't the most advanced animatronic unit."  Dib immediately recognized the little robot that he'd sometimes seen with Zim, and the name he'd heard it referred to came to mind.

                "GIR…" he whispered to himself.

            Dib gazed around the rest of the lab.  His eyes fell on one of the worktables and he noticed Zim's spotted backpack, or at least what was left of it, sitting on top.  It was pretty banged up and the wires in the back appeared to have been ripped forcefully out their socket (Dib cringed at the thought of how painful that must have been), but other than that it was in OK shape.  He also saw table after table with all sorts of painful looking tools which actually looked more like instruments of torture scattered over their surfaces and large machines that stood ominously like sentinels against the walls.  For the first time, Dib realized just how oppressing this place really was.

            Dr. Mono just stood there looking bored.  Then suddenly he glanced at his watch and shouted, "LUNCH!"  All at once, every single person in the room rushed towards the door, including the doctor and Agent Kel, leaving Dib completely alone.  Completely alone that is, except for Zim.

            Dib walked slowly over to the tube, the heels of his boots making loud thuds in the thick silence.  Zim hadn't moved from his scrunched up position, but he now seemed to be shaking slightly, and as Dib got closer he gasped as he realized why.

            Zim was crying.

            Dib stopped dead in his tracks and stared, not believing his own eyes.  How could this be possible?  He didn't even think Zim could cry.  He had never seen Zim show any signs of weakness or even the slightest bit of emotion.  Dib couldn't imagine what kind of torture they'd put Zim through to break him like this, but it must have been absolutely horrendous.  That pang of pain he'd felt in his chest before suddenly returned.

            As if sensing his presence, Zim opened his eyes and turned to Dib, and the look on his face made Dib's chest pain even worse.  There was no hatred left in Zim's eyes, only pain and suffering. 

"I called them…" Zim said suddenly, catching Dib off guard.

"W-what?" Dib stammered.

"I called them," Zim repeated in a raspy voice, "but they didn't come."  Zim turned his gaze towards the ceiling and went on, talking more to himself than to Dib.  "Before those men dragged me from my house, I managed to grab my communicator.  I called GIR for help, but when he came to assist me, they captured him, too."  Zim paused.  It was obviously difficult for him to speak.  "So I hid my communicator until it was safe to talk.  But it seemed someone always kept me under watch, so I couldn't use it.  They brought me here and did a thousand tests and experiments on me.  They probed and poked and caused me amounts of pain that no Irken could bear, but I never gave up because I knew that I would soon be able to call my superiors, and they would immediately send an army to rescue me.  It was about a week after my initial capture, after much torture and suffering, but I eventually got my chance.  All the humans had gone away for the night and I managed to get in contact with my superiors, the Almighty Tallest.  I told them that I had been taken prisoner of the humans and that I was totally defenseless.  I begged them to send help, but…" Zim choked on this last word and thin tear ran down his pale face.  "They just laughed.  Then they told me that my mission was a big lie.  The reason they sent me to Earth was not to take over the planet, but to get rid of me and that I could rot here for all they cared."

Dib listened to Zim's words in disbelief, unable to imagine how anyone could be so heartless and cruel.  Even Zim didn't deserve something so cold.  Seeing the pain and devastation on Zim's face, Dib's own eyes began to water, but he quickly brushed away the tears so Zim wouldn't see.

Zim took a deep breath and continued.  "My commanding officers were all that I lived for.  I'd have died to serve them; I'd have done anything to see that my mission was completed for them.  I thought they favored me and sent me here because they had faith in me.  I thought they were the only ones in the universe that cared at all about me.  But it was all a lie.  And now I'm completely alone, trapped on this planet with these bloodthirsty scientists, and now even GIR, probably the only one who ever really did care about me, has been taken away from me.  Everything I've ever believed to be true has been torn down and now there's nothing left."

Dib just stood there not having the slightest idea what to think, but just then Dr. Mono poked his head inside the door.  "C'mon, what're you waiting for, it's lasagna day!"

"Coming!" Dib shouted a bit too loudly and darted out of the room, trying hard not to glance back at Zim as he ran.  He could see that the doctor had already headed back to the cafeteria when he broke out into the hallway.  Dib slammed the door shut and leaned up against it with a heavy thump.  His heart was racing and he wiped his forehead which had broken into a cold sweat, desperately trying to breathe normally.  Dib felt like his brain would explode as hundreds of confused thoughts jumbled around inside his head, none of them making any sense. 

"No!" Dib yelled out loud to himself, "No, Zim's a bloodthirsty, deranged little bag of death!  He's a threat to the world and deserves to be locked away and cut open like a frog in biology class!"  He said it over and over in his mind, trying as hard as he could to recall all the pain and torture Zim had put him through, straining to drive one persistent thought from his head, but try as he could, Dib just couldn't deny that one nagging thought.  Dib squeezed his eyes shut tightly, and with a sigh he slammed his fist against the wall.  He knew that all the denial in the world wouldn't help the fact that he'd felt sorry for Zim.  More than sorry, in fact.  Dib had felt as if his heart would break as he listened to the disheveled little alien's words.  "But how could I feel sorry for Zim!?" Dib shouted aloud, his voice echoing dramatically in the empty hall.  "After all the junk he's put me through… how can I feel this way?"

Dib still hadn't figured it out several hours later as he lay on the king sized bed in his luxury hotel room.  He rubbed his temples, trying to ease the pain that had gathered in his head and stared up at the ceiling. 

Suddenly, a wet towel was thrown over his face, and as he bolted up a voice said, "If you wanna use all the towels that's fine, but don't leave them on MY bed!"

Dib peeled the towel from his face and saw Gaz, his younger sister, grimacing at him from the side of his bed.  "Oh, sorry, Gaz.  I went down to the pool to get my mind off… um… things.  Guess I forgot to put the towel in the bathroom."

Gaz opened one squinted eye and stared at Dib.  "You know, you're being awfully submissive today.  I've been doing all sorts of horrible things to you all day, and you haven't said a word.  Does my hard work mean nothing to you?"  She paused as a thought occurred to her.  "Say, weren't you supposed to see Zim today?"

Dib sighed in response and rolled over on his side, not wanting Gaz to see his expression. 

"Is that a yes?" she growled, but seeing the way that Dib didn't move, she began to realize that something was going on.  "Seriously, Dib," she said a bit gentler, "What's the matter with you?"

Dib sighed.  "It's nothing," he lied.

"Does it have to do with Zim?" Gaz coaxed.

Dib sat up and leaned on his elbows.  "Yeah.  I might as well tell you since I guess you figured it out."  He took a deep breath and looked down at the floor.  "I'm starting to wonder if… if I did the right thing turning Zim in."

"Are you nuts?" Gaz raised an eyebrow.  "You've been going on about capturing Zim since you met him!  And now that you've actually proven that he IS an alien, you're famous.  Every scientist in the world knows that you, Dib, discovered alien life on Earth!  And all the magazine and TV people want to interview you, none of the kids at skool make fun of you anymore, and Dad can't stop going on about how proud he is of you.  What more do you want!?

"I know, I know, I should be ecstatic about all this… but you didn't see Zim today.  He was so miserable.  I've never seen him like that.  It's like he's had the life drained out of him."

"But he was trying to take over the Earth and enslave humanity.  He's dangerous!  You knew that better than anyone.  How can you feel any pity for him?"

Dib glared at his sister.  "You know how hard it is to get Dad to notice you, right?" he asked.

"Yeah…" she answered uneasily.

"Well, say that he wanted you to do something for him that would make him notice you, make him proud.  Would you do it?"

"I suppose."

"Even if that thing might not be so good?"

"I don't know… I guess if Dad asked me to…" Gaz stuttered.  "What exactly are you getting at, Dib?"

"Zim was only trying to impress his superiors!  Obviously they thought he was a joke, and he only wanted to take over the Earth to prove himself to them!" Dib shouted forcefully, then realizing how insane he sounded, said in a quieter voice, "It's like a kid who does stupid, embarrassing things so the popular kids will like them, or some guy who sucks up to his boss.  Zim only wanted his superiors to acknowledge him."

  "I can't believe you're actually sticking up for Zim!" Gaz said in disbelief.

Dib gave a half chuckle.  "Yeah, neither can I.  I'm the last person in the world I thought would ever defend that alien."  Dib lowered his head and got a very thoughtful look on his face.  "I may know better than anyone else how dangerous Zim is to humanity, but I also know what it's like just to want people to like you."

Dib didn't see it, but the corner of Gaz's mouth turned up just the slightest bit.  "So what're you gonna do now?" she asked.

Dib raised his head and stared straight forward, a determined and decisive look on his face.  "I'm going to do what I have to do."

                                                *            *            *

"Yeah, hi.  I'm here to see the alien," Dib explained, tugging on his collar nervously as the guard eyed him up and down.  "It's my last day visiting and I want to see it one more time before I go back home."  The guard continued to stare at him suspiciously, then he shrugged and let Dib through the security doors without so much as another glance.  Once inside the door, Dib felt his knees turn to Jell-o and he nearly fell to the ground with relief.  He'd felt so certain that the guard would see through his plan.  "This is going to be harder than I thought," he muttered to himself.  Knowing that he had to keep his cool if this was going to work, Dib picked himself up, took a deep breath and ventured on towards the laboratory.  The room was empty when he entered, as he knew it would be since he'd decided to come at lunchtime once again.  He quickly ran over to Zim's tube.  Zim looked worse than ever and Dib knew right then that he was doing the right thing.

"Zim… Zim!" Dib whispered, tapping on the glass.  Zim slowly looked up at him.  "I'm leaving for home tomorrow morning," Dib told him, "so this is my last chance to talk to you."

"Then if you're leaving, then this is the only chance I'll get to say this to you," Zim interrupted and looked up at Dib sadly.  "I want to tell you… I'm sorry.  For everything that's happened.  I'm sorry that I tried to take over your planet and did all those horrible things to you.  It's just… I wanted to impress the Almighty Tallest.  You see, all my life I wanted them to respect me, but on Irk you're only as important as your height.  The Tallest constantly ridiculed me because of my shortness and I only tried as hard as I did so they would see that, despite my height, I was useful.  That I could carry out a mission."

"Zim…" Dib began sympathetically, "I understand why you did what you did.  I've always been an outcast too, and I know all about how badly it can hurt when you have no friends.  Or when the people that you want to notice you think you're a joke."

At these words, Zim's eyes widened as he tried to understand what Dib was saying to him.

"It's the same reason I wanted to expose you as an alien so badly.  I wanted people to know that I wasn't crazy and that I could do something important for the world."  He paused for a moment and stared straight into Zim's eyes.  "So," Dib continued, " I forgive you.  And I'm so sorry I got you into this," he said, gesturing to the surrounding lab.  "But I mean I had to turn you in.  You were trying to take over the Earth!  Still, if I'd know why, maybe I would have acted differently."  He finished speaking, and then for the first time ever, Dib smiled at Zim.  "I never thought I'd be saying this to you, but we've got more in common than I thought, and I think that maybe…" Dib trailed off, flustered and not really knowing how to end his sentence, but then he just let his heart do the talking.

"Zim," he smiled, "I want us to be friends."

"Us?  Friends?" Zim's jaw dropped in disbelief.  He never thought in his whole life that he'd ever be hearing those words from anyone, but least of all from Dib!  After all he'd put Dib through in the past, here he was offering his friendship!  Zim considered what Dib was saying, carefully going over each word and thinking how nice it sounded.  For the first time in his life, someone wanted to be his friend, his real friend, and Zim suddenly felt a warm sensation in his chest.  All the endless fighting and pride suddenly forgotten, he returned Dib's smile and said, "So do I."

"But you can't try to take over the planet anymore, okay?" Dib said.

"Trust me, my Invader days are over," Zim replied.

"And no more referring to me as a 'Stink Beast', got it?" Dib winked.

"Got it," Zim smiled back.

"Ok, seriously though," Dib looked around to make sure no one was listening, "I'm going to help you get out of here," and with a chuckle he added, "Man, I never thought I'd be saying that."

Zim, who just a moment ago had been laughing, once again realized the situation he was in and lowered his head hopelessly.  "Believe me, I've tried to get out, but even if I could, where would I go?  I can never go back to Irk and there's nowhere on Earth for me."

"You lived on Earth just fine before, and I'm sure you can come up with a new disguise," Dib urged.  "And besides, anything is better than being here!"

"I suppose you're right," Zim put a hand to his chin thoughtfully, "But there's no way I can escape.  I already told you I've tried and it's impossible."

"That's because you need someone on the outside," Dib replied with a smirk.  "They won't suspect me since I'm the one who's responsible for turning you in.  Heck, even I don't believe I'm helping you, so no one else will either."

Zim looked skeptical.  "But I still don't understand how I'm going to escape."

Dib just smiled and lowered an eyebrow.  "Don't worry, I've got it all worked out."

                                                *            *            *

Several hours later, all the doctors and scientists began packing up and heading out for the night while Zim sat patiently in his tube watching them leave.  Finally the last scientist had gone and Zim called out softly, "Okay, coast is clear!"

The lid of a nearby trash bin flew off as Dib popped out from inside his hiding place.  "Oh, God!" he breathed, gulping in the fresh air.  "Do you have any idea what kinds of chemical wastes they throw away in this thing!?  Now I'm probably gonna grow a tail or something." 

Climbing out, Dib brushed himself off and straightened his glasses.  "Anyway, let's get started," he said and stepped over to a large control panel full of buttons and levers.  "Hmm… one of these must open the tube," he thought aloud. 

"That big green button," Zim called.  "That's the one they always push."

Dib pressed the button, and with a whoosh of air, the tube rose towards the ceiling.  Dib watched happily as Zim s Zimtepped out of his prison.  He began to walk towards Dib, but suddenly his legs gave way and he fell to the ground.  Dib rushed over to Zim's side, and in concern he asked, "What happened?"

"I'm still a little bit weak, I guess," Zim admitted, a little embarrassed.  Dib helped Zim up and after testing his legs out for a moment, Zim felt he was strong enough to walk on his own. 

"Oh, Zim," Dib called from behind, and Zim turned around to face him.  "I think this belongs to you," he said and held up Zim's backpack.  Zim smiled at Dib, then looked at the backpack and snapped his fingers.  The wires, which were protruding out the back, started to slither and Dib dropped the backpack in alarm.  But the small backpack never touched the ground and instead flew over to Zim where the wires began joining and repairing themselves, threading one by one into Zim's back.  The repairs completed, Zim's spider legs shot out of the pack and lifted him into the air triumphantly.  "YES!" he shouted joyfully, and was slowly lowered back to the ground. 

"Wow," Dib said, "You've gotta get me one of those." 

The two of them headed towards the door, but Zim stopped suddenly.  "Wait!" he yelled, and raced over to one of the examining tables where a small, bundle of metal could be seen glinting in the darkness. 

"GIR…" Zim placed a hand on his mangled companion then turned to Dib.  "Give me a sec, "he said, and with that a device that looked like a drill emerged from his backpack and lowered itself towards the little robot.  With a loud buzz and a bright spark, the drill-like gadget released a jolt of electricity into GIR's body, which began jumping and writhing on the table.  Zim retracted the drill and observed GIR closely.  At first nothing happened, but all the sudden GIR's eyes popped open, flashing from purple to green to pink to red, then finally settling on their usual cyan blue color.  Shaking his head, GIR sat up and looked around. 

"Master!" he screeched when he saw Zim, then he leaped at the Irken and clamped Zim's head in a tight hug.  Zim pried the little robot from his head and set it on the floor where it began to jump and dance around happily.  "Yaaaayyyy!!!" GIR shrieked and this time flung his arms around Zim's waist.  "Oh, Master!  I thought I'd never see you again!  Did you bring me a cupcake?"

"Same old GIR," Zim rolled his eyes and began pulling off all the probes and wires that had been attached to GIR.  "C'mon, let's go!" he said and he, Dib, and GIR ran to the door. 

Dib put a finger to his lips and motioned for them to be quiet.  He slowly turned the knob of the laboratory door and pushed it open just far enough so he could peer through the crack.  "I don't see anyone," he whispered.  He opened the door the rest of the way and led Zim and GIR out into the hallway.

"Yay!  We're escaping!" GIR cried suddenly, scaring the goo out of Dib and Zim.

"Shhhhsh!" Zim hissed and clamped a hand over GIR's mouth.  "You have to be very, very, very, very, VERY quiet!  Understand?" 

GIR opened his mouth to answer, but Zim shook his head quickly and GIR smiled and saluted instead.  Zim nodded approvingly and crept along behind Dib. 

They'd just rounded a corner when a voice called, "Hey, you!"

Dib's heart froze in his chest and Zim and GIR ducked behind a nearby candy machine, certain that they'd been spotted.

"So you're back again I see," said the voice and Dib, getting over the shock, realized that it was Dr. Mono. 

Sweating bullets, Dib smiled shakily and replied, "Uh, yeah, I'm leaving for home tomorrow and I came to see Zim one last time before I go."  Good, I don't think he saw Zim and GIR Dib thought with a tiny sigh of relief.

Dr. Mono walked towards Dib.  "Well, it's a good thing you did seeing as how you won't be able to see him again after tonight.  We've learned all we can about the alien through external examination, so now we're going to start with the internal exploration phase."

"W-what!?" Dib stammered.

"That's right.  Tonight we begin the dissection!  It's a shame you can't be around to see it, but it's strictly scientists only," the doctor chuckled.  "Well, better go get the equipment ready," he said and continued on his way past Dib.

Dib's mouth hung agape in horror.  Once the doctor was out of sight, Zim crawled out from his hiding place, his face mirroring the same shock that Dib felt.  "He's heading back to the lab!  We've gotta get out of here now!" Dib cried.  Grabbing Zim by the arm and Zim grabbing GIR, Dib began to run as fast as he could, pulling the two of them behind him.  They'd only gone a short distance when an alarm began buzzing loudly and a red light flashed on and off above them in a dizzying rhythm. 

Suddenly, a group of men dressed in camouflage and toting rifles appeared in front of them from around a corner.  "There they are!" one of them shouted and the small army started charging towards the three companions.  Dib, Zim and GIR tried to run the other way, but another bunch of men blocked the way.  Dib had no idea what to do and was a hair away from screaming hysterically, but Zim just narrowed his eyes determinedly and glared at their attackers.   "GIR!" he barked, turning to the little robot, "Fly us out of here!"

"Yes, my Master!" GIR shouted, and in the blink of an eye jetpacks shot out of his legs and handlebars appeared on his back.

"Come on!" Zim called to Dib as he was climbing on GIR.  He held out a hand to Dib and helped him up, and then before Dib could even get his balance, GIR took off through the air and sailed over the heads of the army men.  The men seemed startled by their sudden flight and began shooting blindly every which way, trying to hit the airborne GIR but missing by a mile.  Zim steered GIR past them and down a long hall towards an open doorway that lay directly ahead.  When they were about twenty feet away, a metal door suddenly slammed down, blocking their path.  Dib screamed, certain that they were about to crash and burn, but Zim wasn't about to be beaten.  A strange looking device popped out of his backpack and fired two green beams of light at the door which suddenly had a large, smoking hole appear in it just in time for them to rocket through.

"Yes!" Dib thrust a fist in the air triumphantly.  Unfortunately he celebrated too soon, because the next second GIR's rockets began to sputter and suddenly they gave out.  The three of them went screeching to the ground with Zim flying over the handlebars and Dib barely avoided crashing into him.

"What happened?" Zim asked shaking himself off. 

GIR looked up at Zim innocently.  "I'm out of fuel," he said simply.

"Again!?  What is it with you and never having any fuel?" Zim demanded.

"Those science-y guys took it," GIR explained.

"Well, as long as it wasn't your fault," Zim trailed off, "but we've got to find a way out of this place before those government people catch up to us."

Dib scraped himself off the floor, brushed off his jacket and adjusted his glasses.  He glanced around, looking for any means of escape.  "Hey, look!" he exclaimed, pointing to a large vent in the ceiling.  Zim, taking the hint, immediately grabbed Dib's and GIR's arms and used his extension legs to lift them all up to the vent.  The three of them disappeared through the opening just as the army men entered the hallway.

"I don't think they saw us," Dib whispered as he observed the men through the grating who were running past the spot where he, Zim, and GIR had been only a moment before.  It seemed like a good idea to try and make their way outside through the ventilation system, so Zim led the way while Dib and GIR crawled along behind him through the dark, dusty tunnels.  After a few minutes (though it seemed like hours to Zim and Dib) the group spotted a light ahead and began heading quickly towards it.  It was another opening covered with grating and Zim and Dib could tell from the bright light streaming through that it must lead outside.

"We're almost out!" Dib announced happily, and GIR returned the gesture with a resounding, "Wee-hoo!"

Zim's claw-like fingers gripped the grating and pulled it away from the opening then he, Dib, and GIR stepped out into the brilliant daylight.  It took a second for their eyes to adjust to the harsh light, but they realized that they must be on the roof.  Zim never felt in his life that he'd ever be happy to see the Earth's sun, but it now had new meaning to him, and he thought that he'd never see anything in quite the same way again. 

"It BURNS!" GIR cried holding his hands over his eyes.

"We're outside," Zim said to Dib, ignoring GIR's outburst, "Now we have to…" he began, but was cut-off when a voice screamed, "FREEZE!" and suddenly the sound of a hundred artillery weapons being clicked filled the air.  Out of nowhere, at least fifty army guys seemed to materialize and surround them.  Dib flung his hands in the air in a reflex motion, but Zim, standing his ground, extracted his laser cannon from his backpack.  He was about to fire when the laser was completely blown away by one of the soldier's rifles. 

"I said DON'T MOVE!" the soldier roared and Zim backed up against the wall in fear.  He, Dib, and GIR were cornered.

"We're DOOOMMED!" GIR screeched happily. 

The men advanced on the trio slowly then suddenly charged forward.  Two of the men grabbed Zim who struggled fiercely to get out of their clutches, two more men tackled Dib and forced him to the ground, and another snatched up GIR.  They were just about to drag their prisoners away when a loud rumbling noise filled the air, making them pause in confusion.  The noise grew louder with each passing second and out of nowhere something large and fast suddenly flew overhead in a streak causing all the soldiers on the roof to dive down to the ground. 

Zim couldn't believe what he'd just seen.  Of course he hadn't gotten a clear view of it, but he did know that there was only one thing that made a noise like that.  Just then, the thing appeared again, but this time it slowed down and circled around the building and Zim found that his suspicion was correct.

"It's a Voot Runner!" he exclaimed, amazed. 

It circled around a few more times, then the Voot Runner's side cannons lowered and clicked into place.  The army men, who up until now were still cowering on the ground, all leaped up at once as the cannons began firing.  They tried in vain to retaliate, but every time they held up their guns to take aim, the Voot Runner's laser cannons would easily fire and disintegrate the rifles in their hands.  Now most of the soldiers were running away and jumping off the roof in a panic and Zim, Dib, and GIR just stood there not knowing what to do.  It turns out that they needn't have worried for the next instant the Voot Runner swooped down, and in the blink of an eye two mechanical arms shot out of the sides and grabbed Zim and GIR in one and Dib in the other.  As another group of soldiers appeared on the roof and began firing their weapons, the arms pulled Dib, Zim, and GIR into the spaceship.  More soldiers began filing out of the compound and were swarming underneath the ship, firing, and now helicopters also began circling around it, but they were no matches for the Voot Runner, which easily maneuvered past them with great speed.  With a blast of fuel, the Runner flew away faster than any Earth aircraft could possibly go until it was completely out of site from the holding compound, and in another few seconds, the ship veered sharply up and sliced through the stratosphere out into the dark, silent void of space.

Inside the ship, Zim sat up from where he'd been dumped on the floor in a daze.  Blinking a few times, he observed their surroundings.  Dib also sat up with a groan then he noticed the look on Zim's face.  "Zim?  What's the matter?" he asked in concern, for Zim looked like he'd seen a ghost.

"This… This isn't just a Voot Runner.  This is my Voot Runner!" he shouted.  "But I don't understand!  Those government men confiscated it when they captured me.  How did…?" Zim stuttered and then he noticed the pilot's chair and saw that someone was sitting in it.  Zim and Dib both gasped as they saw who the pilot was.

"Gaz!!" Dib's jaw dropped practically to the ground.

"Duh.  What'd you expect?" Gaz said sitting behind the wheel of the cockpit. 

"B-but, I don't get it," Dib stammered, "Where did you get this thing!?"

"They had it in one of those hangers on the base.  When you told me about your little rescue mission I knew you'd manage to screw it up somehow, so I followed you.  I snuck into the hanger and took this ship, then I tried to find you guys," she explained.

"But those air hangers are heavily guarded!  How'd you get in?"

"Staff entrance."

"Oh," Dib sighed.

Zim crept up next to Gaz and gaped in bewilderment at the wheel as she steered the Voot Runner.  "How is it you can fly this ship?" Zim asked astonished.  "And how can you fire the laser cannons with such precision?"

"Trust me, I've had a lot of practice," said Gaz, and dug something out of her pocket which she handed to Zim.  "Play this baby for eight years and you pick up a few things."

"Ah, I see," said Zim as he stared into the screen of her Game Slave.

"You're my hero!" GIR suddenly dropped down out of nowhere and clamped on to Gaz's head.

"EECKK!  Get off me!" she screamed and tried to pry him off.

"GIR, get down!" Zim ordered and GIR jumped to the floor with a 'clink.'

"I'm so happy!" GIR screeched as he ran around the cabin.  "I wanna make biscuits!  WEEHOOOOO!"

"Well, we did it," Dib said turning to Zim with a smile and holding out his hand.

"Thank you, Dib," Zim placed his hand in Dib's and shook.  "I don't know how I'll ever pay you back.  I mean, you gave up all your fame to rescue me."

Dib sighed.  "Yeah, but I don't regret it.  Besides, there's always Bigfoot."

"I LOVE YOU!" GIR cried flinging his arms around Dib's neck causing him to choke and gasp for air.

"Uh, yeah… Thanks GIR," Dib said shakily as he began to get his breath back.

"Um, hell-O!" Gaz squinted at Dib and Zim menacingly, "Perhaps you've forgotten that your butts would be toast right now if it wasn't for me."

"Oops, sorry Gaz," Dib said, "Thanks.  We couldn't have done it without you."

"Yeah, you're alright for a human," Zim added.

"Okay, okay, quit droolin' all over me," Gaz said grumpily, but a secret smile played on her lips as she turned back to the wheel.  "So, what're you gonna do now, Zim?" she asked.

"I'm not really sure.  I suppose I'll have to get a new disguise and find a place to live on Earth.  Or maybe I'll take off for some other planet.  Or MAYBE I'll go back to Irk and overthrow the Almighty Tallest!" Zim grinned madly and shook his fist in the air, then he relaxed and lowered it.  "But it doesn't matter right now," he said as he looked out the window and gazed at the stars, his eyes glinting with the infinite possibilities that stretched out before him.  For the first time, Zim wasn't bound to his commanders, wasn't struggling to complete a mission, and for the first time, he could go wherever and do whatever he wanted.  As he watched the stars and planets go by, his gaze slipped past the window and his eyes ended up focusing on Dib.  Dib, after all Zim had done to him, had not only forgiven him, but he'd risked his life to save him.  "Dib, of all people ended up becoming my friend," Zim thought with a chuckle, but for some reason, as he stared at Dib, it didn't sound so strange to him anymore.

 "And Gaz…" he thought, training his eyes on her as she piloted the Voot Runner like a pro.  No one had even asked her, but she'd saved them all anyway.  Zim had to admit, he'd never been so impressed in his life, but there was more to it than that.  Zim couldn't put his finger on it, but it wasn't just gratitude or admiration he felt; Gaz looked different to him somehow.

"Zim?" Gaz said unsurely, "Why are you staring at me like that?"

Zim hopped up on the seat next to Gaz and placed his hand on hers.  "Here, let me steer now," he urged, his magenta eyes gazing warmly into Gaz's.  As she looked down at their touching hands, she seemed startled at first, but then for a reason she didn't really understand, Gaz began to blush.  She smiled at Zim just the tiniest bit and scooted over so he could take charge of flying the Voot Runner while Dib watched the scene play out.  Dib grinned knowingly to himself as he realized that for the first time in her life, Gaz seemed to be speechless.  "Hmm… I wonder…" Dib thought as he observed Zim and Gaz sitting next to each other. 

"YIPPPIE!  LET'S GO PLAY WITH THE MONKEYS!" GIR cheered, breaking his concentration.  Dib didn't really mind though and he smiled as he climbed up on the pilot's chair next to his sister and his new friend, Zim.