The last transmission replayed in his head over and over, rolling around and making him wish he could vomit, but all he made were sicky noises. He lay in a shriveled ball in the floor, on his side, thinking he would die. Wishing he could die. "Defect," they'd sneered, as if gloating some private victory.
"Zim," Tallest Purple had said, "We've grown rather bored of playing our game with you." He smiled, and it had looked almost creepy.
"It's all a lie, Zim," Tallest Red added, "There was never a mission to Earth. We sent you there believing you would die. We don't want you." His growing smile matched Tallest Purple's, and they were definitely enjoying this. Zim had heard the words, but he didn't understand, didn't want to understand.
"You send transmissions constantly! It's annoying!" Purple chimed in. "We don't like you!"
Zim coughed, and wished he could cry. Irkens' didn't cry, that was a human function, one Zim wished he could have now, to release the pent up feeling of betrayal and hate. He wished he was dreaming, that one day he would wake up to find the transmission was just a production of his overworked amazing mind. But that was a lie. Another human function. Irkens' didn't dream. Irkens' didn't sleep.
"Your exile will remain on Earth. I pity the humans who must spend time with you. You will never return to Irk. Any attempt at transmissions will be blocked. Goodbye, Zim." Tallest Red said, no pity or sincerity in voice. Only joy, and it crushed Zim.
"Bu... But..." Zim tried to reply, "But I'm an Invader! You can't exile me!" Zim was pleading that this couldn't be true.
"You are a food drone, Zim! You lost your chance to be an Invader during Operation Impending Doom One." Purple said.
GIR tried to comfort Zim, but Zim only rolled over and moaned softly. There was no point to living anymore. His mission to Earth was a lie. His fights with Dib, a lie. The countless transmissions, experiments, and information gathering had been for nothing. He wasn't even an Invader, barely even Irken.
"Massssster, don't be sad... You have ME! And you can still fight with big-headed Dib! Right?" GIR hated seeing his master like this. It just wasn't the way things were supposed to work.
Zim answered with a bone chilling moan, and then screamed, "No, GIR! I no longer need to fight The Dib! All of the fights have been a lie! I'm a lie! I'm not even an Invader!" He began to sob, even though he couldn't actually cry. GIR walked out of the cramped lab, taking the elevator back to the main floor.
The Tallest lied to him. Made him believe he could still prove himself. But they'd wanted him to die, all along."No!" Zim cried,"It's not true! I AM an Invader!"
They glanced at each other, smiles still matched up almost perfectly. "Bye, Zim!" Purple cheered, "Enjoy your exi-"
"NACHOOOOOOOS!" someone yelled from offscreen.
"Whoo!" Purple yelled and rushed off in the sound of the voice. Only Tallest Red remained.
"You can't do this." Zim's voice was strained.
"It's already been done," Tallest Red replied. "Cut the transmission." Red announced.
"Wait!" Zim called, "What do I do now?" he pleaded with the Irken on screen, "Is there nothing Zim can do?"
"We have nothing more to discuss," Tallest Red raised his hand as a signal to cut the transmission.
Zim heard a knock at the door. The cameras on screen showed Dib. "Zim! Come out here and face me!" Dib called from the doorstep.
Well, he'd have to face him sometime. He made his way to the elevator, and trudged to the front door. When he opened it, Dib said, "Whoa, Zim! What's the matter with you?" Zim hadn't even bothered to put his disguise on. Now, he didn't care. He reached up and felt his face. Fresh scratches and claw marks were lining his green skin. He guessed he'd done it himself in his desperate, depressed state.
He couldn't do anything but stare at the ground, and barely whispered, "It's a lie, Dib. It was all a lie."
"What are you talking about? What was a lie?" Dib asked, barely showing concern.
"I'm not an Invader! My Tallest lied to me. They sent me here in hopes that during my journey I would die. I'm exiled here forever. We no longer have reasons to fight. I don't have plans to rule the Earth anymore." The last sentence crushed Zim inside. He had made it his life goal to rule the Earth, and just like that he was giving it up.
Dib was awestruck. He always knew Zim was stupid, but an exile of his own people? Maybe Zim was lying. But Zim never showed any emotion, and he seemed truly hurt by this. "Are you trying to trick me, Zim?" He'd learned well enough you can never trust a word your enemy says.
"Why would I lie about this, Dib?" He didn't look up, and barely had enough strength to fight back. "It was a lie. I'm a lie." He finally looked up, and Zim's eyes were intense. Dib contemplated what Zim said. Maybe he wasn't lying.
He couldn't help but feel a little bad for Zim. In a way, maybe they weren't so different after all. "I'm sorry, Zim. I guess I'm going to go home then." He didn't know what else to say. He turned and slowly went back the way he came.
"Goodbye human-Dib." He barely had the strength to walk in the house before he collapsed on the oddly colored checkered tiles.
"I don't know what I am anymore." Zim whispered to no one. Red took one last glance at him.
"Defect," he sneered.
The transmission was cut.