ZADR or ZADF, I don't really know. It just came to me and I wrote it down. It's like a choose your own adventure story.

"And why the hell should I listen to you?" The human pressed his back to the wall, unable to get any farther away from the figure in front of him.

Zim frowned. "Because I offer you a chance to live, a chance that no one else will offer you and one that no one else will get."

Dib's eyes narrowed further. "Why do you think I want to live? These are my people! I'm not going to betray them!"

Zim's eyes narrowed as well, and his antennae flattened. "These people who mocked you and laughed in your face? The people who ignored you, passing you off as insane? You're going to stand with these people and give up your life in the process? They are all doomed, Dib. Their fates are sealed, and your death won't change that."

Dib looked less sure now, and Zim's antennae relaxed a bit at the sight. "I—but, this is my home, Zim!"

Zim was more confident now of his ability to convince the human standing in front of him. "You would stay to crumble with this filthy city? Really Dib?"

Now Dib seemed to be questioning himself. "But why would I go with the alien race that conquered my race? How do I know that your kind won't do experiments on me or lock me in a cage or something?" That thought seemed to refuel Dib's anger, so he was back to glaring at Zim.

"Because the Irken Empire is the most powerful in the universe and it also happens to be the safest. And as for the last part, I'll make sure that doesn't happen." Zim looked back at the doomed human, irritated that this needed so much explanation. Why did Dib feel such loyalty to this terrible place and people who wouldn't hesitate to leave him to die?

Dib seemed genuinely confused, but under that there was a strain of possibility. "You would? But, your leaders hate you, why would they listen to you?"

Zim tried not to think about the still-new and painful fact that the Tallest hated him and had sent him out here to die. "I've conquered Earth and completed my mission. They will listen to Zim." Zim was confident of that. And Dib asking questions like that one was a sign that he was seriously considering boarding the Massive and leaving Earth to burn.

Dib looked around at the buildings that were already beginning to fall, and he watched the other humans running for their lives now that they'd actually realized they were in danger. Zim watched the human's thoughts race inside of his head and waited.

"Earth's really going to die?" He looked sad, though Zim couldn't understand why. What Zim did understand was that this was the last real barrier. It was the last thing that stood in the way of Dib's decision.

"Not totally, but it will no longer be what it was. It won't live in the way you're thinking." Zim watched a building crumble in the distance. Dib closed his eyes.

"I'll come with you." His last defense lay on the ground, shattered at his feet. It was the most important one to the human and Zim smiled, though it wasn't in happiness.

"Hurry, then." Zim grabbed Dib's arm, and began running in the direction of GIR and the Massive. Now the concern of the burning, falling buildings caught up to them, and they ran like hell to get through the city without being caught under debris. There were some close calls, and Dib's sleeve caught on fire from a falling corner that had passed a bit too close, but the human and Irken eventually made it to the Massive.

"Invader Zim," Tallest Red addressed him. Zim saluted, proud to stand in front of his Tallest with his mission complete, proving both of them wrong. The victory almost made up for the fact that they hated him.

"My Tallest," Zim looked from Red to Purple, enjoying the fact that he no longer had to look up to address them. Their eye level was almost equal, and Zim couldn't help feeling a bit smug.

"What is this…creature thing?" Purple asked, focused on Dib with a curious frown.

"It's one of the humans, right?" Red moved toward Dib, but the human backed away wide-eyed. Zim decided to step in.

"It is indeed. This one is…exceptional. Much different from the other filthy dirt-children." Zim glanced at the terrified Dib. "I've decided on this as my trophy from this world." Dib looked mildly insulted, but he seemed to understand where Zim was going with the statement because he remained silent.

The Tallest looked at each other for a moment before they looked back at Zim, their expressions defeated. "Very well, Zim." Bored, they turned away and moved back into the Massive. GIR was laughing maniacally, bouncing into the ship, screaming about destruction and tacos. Zim felt no desire to rein in the unstable robot, and turned to Dib instead.

"Impressive, eh?" he gestured toward the ship and Dib simply nodded, staring. Zim looked back at it, failing to restrain his happiness. After much too long, he was finally returning to his home and leaving this terrible planet. He looked back to see Dib's expression. His antennae flattened. "What?"

Dib turned his head. "Nothing." Zim narrowed his eyes.

"Is this still about Earth and your alliance to the other humans?"

"No, I mean, kind of. It's just, I was supposed to be the one to save Earth from you and your stupid armada. That was my mission, and I failed. But instead of going down with the ship, I'm going to get on this one and just leave it all behind." Dib looked back at the Massive, "It's just…hard to process, I guess. It feels like betrayal and it goes against everything I've always believed."

"But this is going to be better, Dib. Even if you had saved the Earth, what would you have really gained?"

"I know."

Zim looked at the side of Dib's face and narrowed his eyes in thought. He didn't really understand why Dib wasn't happier about being able to prove that he'd been right all along. He didn't know why the human wasn't more excited about boarding a spaceship and being allowed to explore the universe with the protection of the strongest race in existence behind him. But Dib was coming along, and that was all that mattered for right now.

A loud crash from several buildings coming down broke both out of their silent contemplation. "Come on," the Irken gestured to the inside of the Massive. The human looked at him, then back at the remains of his home city. He watched the ongoing destruction for a moment before he turned away and started up the Massive's ramp. Zim followed right behind the human, sparing his temporary home a final glance before he too walked back into his home world.

Things weren't great, but he'd completed his mission, so he had that one thing going for him in the eyes of his people. He had Dib with him, and that was something that mattered in Zim's eyes.

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