By animeninjaNIPPON

Well, here's my first DATR (not counting the references in The IZ Horror Picture Show). You heard me - I normally ship for ZADR, but I also like het pairings like DATR and ZAGR. It's the ship wars I dislike - those have to stop. Sorry, no Zim in this story...it's set in the future and is sorta based on how the series was originally going to end before it got cancelled.

I'm not Jhonen/Idon't own Invader Zim/I can't promise perfect IC-ness...you get the idea. I can't think of anymore creative disclaimers, sorry.

P.S.: Happy Halloween!

A swish of his black cape lined in red, a quick look in the mirror - "Emperor Dib" (as he was often called) was ready for the Intergalactic Ambassadors' meeting. Ever since the fall of the Irken Empire (and defeat of pseudo-Invader Zim) two years ago, Dib had been living alone in his own space palace conducting important business for the alien rebels once known as the Resisty (and still known as the Resisty). He laughed hautily, as though possessed by the ghost of his former nemesis, and cried out, "I love being Emperor!" to no one in particular.

Alone. Alas, it was pretty lonely out there in space - he left his father and sister back on Earth, with Zim's ex-SIR unit Gir to take his place. (Gaz once commented that it was a good trade.) But it didn't bother the human ambassador at all - he was finally doing something he wanted to do and no one could call him crazy for it.

He turned on his computer to check in with the president of that day's meeting. "Hello?"

"Ah, Emperor Dib," came a voice from the other end. "How's Earth?"

"Wouldn't know," Dib replied. "I haven't been there since we conquered Irk and destroyed their empire."

"Oh. Right." A long pause ensued. "That was some Invasion, huh?"

"Yeah - can you believe Zim got killed by friendly fire? Guess his own planet hated him, too..."

"That's actually kind of funny."

Dib tried to supress a snicker, with little success. "Yeah."

An alarm went off in the background at HQ, and Dib could see the panic lights flashing in the background. "GAAAH!"

The president of the meeting ran away screaming, and after someone yelled "We're under attack!" the computer screen went black.

Without hesitation, Dib bolted from the room and headed to the garage where he kept his spaceship - a beautiful silver-and-black UFO-looking thing that he received along with his palace. After knocking over a stack of bean cans, he jumped into his ship and took off.

The planet that was once Irk was not far; Dib only flew for fifteen minutes to get there. When he reached the Intergalactic Headquarters, everything was in disarray. Aliens were screaming and waving their limbs insanely. Dib was about to yell for them to calm down when an octopus-like alien in a purple hat shouted, "We've captured the intruder!"

Everyone but Dib and a few executives collapsed to the floor with a sigh of relief. The octo-alien motioned with one of his tentacles for the guards bearing the terrorist to come forward. "The offender is defined as about five-two, wearing purple garb and...oh no...OH NOOO! AAAH! AAAAAH!"

He continued to scream incoherently as the offending alien was pulled into the room by two guards.

"Let go of me!" she snapped.

Dib stared at her in disbelief. "...Tak?"

End of part one