Time is Borrowed

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to this wonderful show...so don't worry bout it...although i do own this fan-fic right here...plz enjoy or hate it...

Warning: Gore, death, religious theme (i'm not a blasphemer) and a lil bit ZaDR...don't continue to read if this is not your thing...well onto my fic

His vision was blurry, caused by his own blood that seemed to continiously pour over one eye. A minor head wound that was caused by a pak leg from a small, nameless irken. In which it's life was quickly forfeit as Zim unmercifully disemboweled it with his own pak leg. That small skirmish did not hinder his movements as he continued walking down the forward path. He only had one goal in mind.

The Massive's control room.

Alarms blared loudly throughout the ship, indicating to everyone of Zim's presence. Casting his gaze upwards, he knew that his leaders were in that very room, monitoring his movements and placing pawns further ahead for ambush. A wry smile emerged on Zim's face as he strode confidently towards uncertainty.

Those who would oppose Zim had their fates sealed.

It wasn't too long before those who lie in wait could hear blood curdling screams, of their comrades, in the distance as it echoed off the metallic walls. One by one bodies dropped to the ground in blood heaps as the much taller Zim kept moving forward, stepping on or over the corpses without much care and thought. As he advanced, even the most trained attack drone frantically fell back to regroup. The air was heavy with the smell of blood and burnt irken flesh. Zim could tell he was drawing near as the attacks became more frequent and much more focused.

A full frontal assult was now out of the question.

Taking cover momentarily, he retrieved out from a pocket a primative human weapon. Clutching the item, he hooked a talon around the aluminium ring and pulled. Without a moments hesitation he tossed the object, that was a little bigger then his clawed hand, in the direction of the unsuspecting irkens. Before his enemies could comprehend what was thrown at their feet, they were erased by the contained explosion. After the smoke cleared, Zim peered around the corner and saw the walls were now painted with scorch marks, blood and chunks of internal organs.

Who knew that a simple grenade could be so effective?

Before he rounded the corner, a sharp, searing pain was suddenly felt in his abdomen. As he tried to catch his breath, he blankly looked down and noticed a slender pointed end of a pak leg exiting out. Gaining his wits back, Zim glanced behind him and to the half-dead irken that came back from the grave.

"This is as far as you go, traitor." The small, petite, female irk sputtered as the internal bleeding was slowly claiming her life.

Nothing was said as Zim swiftly grabbed the pak leg that was skewering him and yanked the irken towards him. Since the female did not have a strong footing, she was easily pulled in. He then dug his talons into her head and smashed her skull against the wall, crushing it instantly. Choked and gurgling noises emitted from the female as it's bright, cherise eyes were now lifeless. Zim did not relent as he automatically pulled back and slammed her into the wall once more. He did it with so much force that it left a dent in the metal wall and busted apart her head. The lifeless body twitched as Zim removed his claw from her. He then flicked his wrist to remove the brain matter that still clung to his gloved hand. Once done, he dislodged the metallic spider leg that had impaled him.

Try all they want but he will not fall just yet.

Spitting out blood that gathered in the back of his throat, he placed a hand over the open wound and rounded the corner. Along the way, Zim showed no mercy to the wounded or those who surrender, they all met their ends by Zim's lethal pak legs. Soon Zim stopped dead in his tracks and was before a door. Pausing, he rested his forehead on the barrier between him and the heart of the Massive.

He finally arrived.

Placing a blood soaked claw up to the panel, he typed in the digits that would unlock the door. Closing his eyes and taking a labored breath, he pressed the final code in which was confirmed and the lock was disengaged. The sliding door granted him access and magenta eyes snapped open as Zim boldly walked inside.

And a well aimed laser blast to his sternum halted his tracks.

The doors sealed shut before he dropped down to his knees. Zim brought his gaze up to the platform that stood his Almighty Tallest.

"You missed." Purple whined as he hid behind Red. "You were suppose to hit him between the eyes."

"And not get any answers?" He snarled at his counterpart as he kept the weapon trained on Zim. "Use your common sense."

Zim tried to process what was going on as he dumbly looked down at the charred flesh of his new wound.

"Zim." Red spoke up in an authorative tone as he drew near the silent irken. "Are you still with us Zim?" He then extended his arm outward for the other to get the weapon. In which Purple eagerly complied.

Zim shifted his focus and realized that the control room was completely empty, save for three.

"Answer me!" The taller male snapped at Zim.

"What..." Purple taunted as he hovered next to Red. "You're telling me that after all these years of putting up with your mindless babble, the great Zim has nothing to say?"

There was a distant look in those magenta eyes as he looked to his leaders.

"You're fatally wounded, Zim." Red apathetically mentioned. "So are you going to spend your last remaining moments quiet?" He shook his head. "Killing your own kind is one thing, but not acknowledging us is another thing. And I thought you were loyal to the empire."

"Zim was loyal to you." He whispered out.

"Huh?" Red leaned in close to Zim. "What did you say?"

Looking directly into Red's eyes. "Zim still is loyal to you."

"That doesn't make any sense-"

"Even though you stole something scared from me." Zim continued talking as he cut off his leader. "Ten years on that stink planet called Earth, and just like that...boom..." He made a half-hearted gesture with his claw.

"He's out of his mind..." Purple drew near to Red as he aimed the gun between Zim's eyes.

"You told me to observe them!" He kept his eyes locked onto Red's. "Then you decided to blow up the planet with me still stationed there. I was lucky to escape, but just barely."

"What are you wearing?" Purple spoke up as he finally observed Zim.

Zim looked down at the black, long, tattered, trench coat that hugged his body and then he looked back at Purple. "I was..." A crazed smile appeared on his face. "Greater than any other invader in history...Greater than any former and present Tallests. In his eyes, I was his world, his everything, his God."

Red felt a cold chill run up his spine and he slowly stood back up.

Zim then slightly raised one of his arms and nuzzled lovingly on the sleeve of the jacket. "He became my everything as well."

"You..." Purple cocked his head to the side. "Were in a relationship with a thing on Earth?" There was a hint of disgust laced within his confusion.

"Dib." Zim glared coldly at the both them. "His name was Dib."

"Can I shoot him now Red?" Purple voice faltered as his hand began to shake.

A maniacal laugh suddenly burst forth from Zim.

Both leaders jumped back.

"W-what's so damn funny?!" Red tried to remain composed.

"Die is cast, no turning back." Zim said in a giddy voice. "The end result matters not...Tick-tock tick-tock..."

"Stop talking already!" Purple squeezed the trigger.

Zim took a hit in the space that is below his collarbone, which sent him reeling backwards and rolling a short distance away from his leaders. The room fell silent for a couple of minutes.

"Is he finally dead?" Purple asked shakily as Red crept forward to inspect the motionless Zim.

"You want to hear a story?" Red's eyes widened in horror and he froze on the spot as Zim spoke up in a pained voice. "Of how I escaped?" Both Tallest were frozen in fear as the slightly shorter irk clutched onto his gaping wound and forced himself to stand up on his feet. Blood flowed freely throughout all of his injuries as well as out from the corner of his mouth.

His head was swimming as he attempted to regain his balance.

Both leaders were to shocked to say anything, indicating Zim to continued. "The both of us were in the lower part of the base. Dib lived with me, you know. Stupid computer decides to only tell Zim at the last moment about the Sweeper Cannon...puh, useless..." He shook his head. "I was worth more than his own life." He lifted up an arm and gazed at his own claw.

His vision was getting poor, not much time left.

"He chose to save me instead of himself without hestiation...shoved me into the teleportation device that sent me to my moon base..." His shoulders began to visibley shake. "Used to always going on about saving mankind, protecting Earth...in the end, I was the only one that was important to him." On unstable legs, he walked towards his leaders.

"S-stay away." Red cowered back and almost toppled over Purple, who stood there like a deer caught in the headlights.

"He..." Zim's voice began to quiver. "Dib always use to tell me that he loved me..." he was unaware of the sudden tears that streamed down his face. "...but I won't be able to hear him say it anymore." He reached his leaders. "...gone forever..." Softly, he placed his hand on Purple's gun hand then slowly lifted it up and placed it between his eyes. "Go ahead and shoot." He stared into amethyst eyes. "I don't want to die alone."

"What," Red scoffed "You think we're joining you? Don't be ridic-"

"Did you know..." Zim cut him off as he glanced over into ruby eyes. "I altered my pak. Zim said he was loyal to you and it would be rude if I left without you." He then shifted his eyes back at Purple. "My Tallest."

"Altered?" Purple's claws were trembling. "What are you going on about?"

"Time is almost up..." His eyelids began to droop "Once my vital are gone...device will set, trigger detonation...the Gods will fall, no escape." Gravity pulled him down as he began to fall forwards. "...boom..." he hit the ground hard as his leaders backed away from him.

"Pur..." Red spoke up with fear laced in his tone. He slowly began to back away as it sunk in on what Zim was rambling about. "We need to leave now..."

"Wait, what?"

Zim could not hear their voices anymore and all he could see around him was a bright, blinding, white light. His body felt light and weightless.

There's no more pain inside of me...

As promised, once his vitals flatlined, it set off an explosion throughout the entire ship. Zim had modified his ship to be one big, nuclear, bomb. The blast completely erased the Massive and the smaller flagships around it, along with anything else in that quadrant of the galaxy.

Warmth?

Calm and soothing as it embraced him.

But how? I'm dead...

All he could see was an infinate whiteness then lifting up a claw, he noticed it bare and transparent. Also, his injuries that he sustained were gone and his green skin was completely flawless.

I guess this is the Afterlife...You've been avenged.

Although he was loyal to his former leaders, his loyalties ran deeper with the only being that actually gave a damn about him. That accept him, regardless of his faults and truely cared about him.

You meant more to me, Dib.

The moments shared with Dib, Zim would cherish it for all eternity. Of how the other would hold him and whispered those three words that Zim took for granted in life.

I want to hear it one last time.

Though no tears could form, he could feel the lingering sensation and he closed his eyes.

I don't think I ever said it to you...just once, I should've said it...I loved you as well.

"I knew." the gentle voice, that Zim longed to hear, resound deep within him as he felt a hand tenderly clasped his claw. Entwining fingers together. "I love you so very much Zim."

"D-Dib?" Choking back a sob, Zim slowly opened his eyes and saw the human before him.

A warm smile was on Dib's face and Zim let go of all restraint by wrapping his arms around the other.

"I didn't mean to keep you waiting." He looped his arms around Zim.

"I've missed you." He buried himself into Dib as the human's aura enveloped him. The former invader was finally at peace and at rest. "...I'm home..."

~End~

A/N: wasn't really too sure about putting the last part into my story...but hey i worked on this fic off and on for 3 days till almost four in the morning and i said what the hey it's my fic and i want Zim and Dib to be reunited in the afterlife...yeah it probably sucked and could be done without it...but i hope my one-shot wasn't too bad...oh one more thing, if anyone has read my other fic (Alone I Break) don't worry I didn't quit it...just had a lil hiccup with it, I need to think of a good way to close chapter 3...