Summary: Sequel to HNLL. It's been a couple months since the incident but Dib can't shake this weird feeling he has. He starts to doubt his motives for his newly formed friendship with Zim after he gets more and more calls from the Swollen Eyeball Network. What will he choose vindication or Zim? It's a triple shot.
A/N: Overly used plotline: yes. But I freaking love it! There's more Gaz in this one since it looks like it will turn into a ZAGR or a very strong ZAGF but I'm still not sure. Minimoose is also mentioned quite a bit in this and he may end up having a larger role later on. I guess I've decided to go on with the trilogy idea…this may be bad.
Disclaimer: *clears throat* Yes, yes, yes, I do not own Invader Zim. Freaking Viacom does. If I owned Invader Zim, I would make the new unfinished episodes instead of having an angry mob of fans 'cause that would be too much on my plate. Also, I don't blame Vasquez in any way. Besides, with a cool name like Jhonen Vasquez, I'd forgive him for anything. Even if he did snap my neck after I finish this disclaimer! *neck is snapped* Damn! I'm still alive!
Chapter 1
"So Zim, are you in Ms. Bitters' class again?"
"Who isn't Dib-monkey?"
"Me. sucks for you two."
"But you're younger than us."
"Yeah Dib-sister!"
"How many times do I have to tell you, it's Gaz?" Dib, Zim, and Gaz continued as they walked down the sidewalk towards Skool. Unfortunately, all of their teachers would be following them to the next grade. The good thing, Zim and Dib had become friends. After the "incident", Zim had come to terms with his situation and fully accepted Dib's friendship. For the first time in his life, Zim felt as though he belonged somewhere. He had also been able to befriend Gaz (after many months) and they all pretty much got along. For once in his life, someone actually wanted him around. Neither Dib nor Gaz tried to trick him (at least not as badly as the Tallest had) or made any hostile actions towards him, GIR, or Minimoose.
Dib was happy to have another person to sit with at lunch besides Gaz. He could finally talk to someone about outer space and have them understand it all. Zim had often pointed out distant planets foreign to the Milkyway Galaxy to Dib. He had also opened up and shared information about the Irkens and other aliens. Also, he could finally do something over the week-end that didn't involve sitting alone at his computer the whole time. Dib was truly happy. But, there was something else too. The Swollen Eyeball Network wouldn't stop calling him lately. They continued to e-mail him reports about mysterious deaths that could only have been caused by advanced technology not found on Earth. Dib usually shook them off as nothing, but he still had his doubts. The strangest thing was, more and more members of the Swollen Eyeball were beginning to believe in the story of Zim. Whenever Dib had asked why they believed, he always got the same response: We'll tell you later. Uneasiness settled in as Dib took in his position. Befriending Zim felt right but now, he didn't know what he wanted, vindication or a friend? He couldn't even remember why he was still part of the SEN.
Gaz was (somewhat) happy that Dib had a real friend so he could stop bugging her about things she didn't care about. However, she and Zim had also become good friends. They both hated most of humanity, were good at video games ("They're just like the smeet training programs back on Irk." Zim remarked), and both usually kept to themselves. She felt that some things, only she and Zim could talk about. Gaz had told him about her mother and Zim had shared his own stories of Irk that he wasn't completely comfortable with Dib knowing. Of course, Dib was curious but Gaz made sure that Zim's secrets stayed hidden from him. There were some things that people should never know.
Now the trio was walking through the Skool to their classrooms. It was the first day and nobody was looking forward to it. Gaz left them at Mr. Elliot's room and Dib and Zim continued down the hall to Ms. Bitters' room. Once inside, they sat in their respective seats across the classroom. Zita was already in her seat when Zim sat down in front of her in his usual seat. *Why do we never switch seats in the first place?* Zim thought as Zita piped up from behind.
"So, you're out of crutches now," she said, "I never found out how you broke both your arm and leg."
"It's uh...complicated. You, a small insignificant worm-baby, wouldn't understand." Zim replied. After his suicide attempt, he had missed the rest of the Skool year. It wasn't a big deal though, there were only about five days left anyway. But Zita had seen him around and every time she saw him, she would ask what happened. He usually got away with most people by saying he was in an accident but Zita always wanted the details. After that, he finally avoided going out alone as much as possible. Since Skool was in, Zita would be asking him every day until she got a straight answer out of him.
"I want to know details though!" she exclaimed, drawing the whole class's attention towards the two of them.
"I told you before filthy Earth female! I was in an accident!"
"I need to know more though! Just tell me! Pleeeeaaaassse?" Zita asked with that I'm-an-innocent-little-girl-so-you-can-tell-me-anything-but-we-all-know-that's-bullshit look.
"NO! What happened to Zim stays with Zim! You have no right to know anything Zim does not want you to know!"
"C'mon Zita, lay off." Dib interjected, "It's his business and his business only. He doesn't need you poking your nose into everything that happens."
"What happened to you crazy?" Zita asked with the I'm-a-jerk-who's-also-a-spoiled-brat voice, "You hate him!"
"We're over that smeet," Zim replied, "the games became too idiotic for the almighty ZIM!"
"Well, if your friends now, then Dib must know what happened. Tell me Dib! You can trust me!"
"No. It's private." Dib replied curtly with a "how in Hell do you expect me to trust you?" look on his face. He hated the Skool social structure.
"You can come out of the closet you know."
"What? No! We're not gay! Not like I have a problem with it…but NO!"
"You are unless I hear differently!"
"But we're not! I swear!"
"You're crazy and a son of a bitch!"
"You're just a bitch!" (A/N: Please note that they are all slightly older. Not by much, but just enough to make a difference in their "conversational" language. Did that make any sense at all?)
"Look, I'm dating Torque so I can have him beat you and your boyfriend up!"
"Please, Torque's too stupid to do any substantial damage."
"Then I'll have him and his friends beat you both up!"
Dib hesitated. What now?
"Please stupid human, Gaz can take them on. She will destroy them in a fight!" Zim said.
"Oh, so now you're with the Goth? Pfft. You are desperate. You're such a defective thing." Zim froze. Memories flashed before his eyes as painful memories resurfaced. After the "incident," whenever someone mentioned key words, his PAK automatically replayed memory upon memory painfully. A massive migraine was taking over his mind as memories flashed across his PAK. The Tallests' transmission, GIR's attempts to make him happy again, the swirling water under the bridge, the pain of being submerged and shattered bones, GIR's rescue despite damage to himself both from water and a machine untested on robots, and finally Dib learning the truth. Zim clutched his head in pain and laid it down on the desk.
"Don't. Ever. Say. That. Again." he managed to grunt through the pain. Zita smiled with the fact of a newfound weakness.
"Defective! Defective! Defective!" she shouted to him. Zim's PAK whirred even more, resurfacing more memories of the suicide attempt. Looking down at the water, taking off the PAK, GIR's own emotional pain, GIR nearly broken after using the Dream Converter, GIR almost destroyed because of his own problems, endless hours of self-loathing and the cutting, the one thing he never told Dib.
"Shut up you stupid worm-baby!"
"Sorry Zim. Oh wait, I'm not because you're a stupid midget and a fucking DEFECTIVE! How do you get any respect being the shortest in the grade? I mean really, have you ever heard of puberty?"
That did it. Zim's memories rapidly flashed through his mind faster than ever before. He couldn't even make most of them out. The PAK was beginning to smoke as he began to lose consciousness. Zim cried out in pain as green Irken blood trickled down from the lower PAK hole.
"Are you trying to kill me again?" Zim shouted at Zita. He collapsed onto the ground as Dib ran toward him. Then everything went black.
"Whoa. What just happened?" Zita asked while looking down at Zim. She had an "I'm innocent/I didn't do it!" expression. After her insults, he just fainted. Weakling. No wonder she was dating Torque.
"I don't really know," Dib lied to her, "but I know that it was your fault!"
"I didn't do anything. Zim's just a defective weirdo. It's not my fault he turned out the way he did." she said with a pout.
*I need to get him to his base,* Dib thought, *but how?* Just then, Ms. Bitters finally entered the classroom.
"Hello children, it's absolutely dreadful to see you all alive and well. Now let's begin our lesson of our doomed race. We will all be doomed one day and there will be NOTHING left on Earth. We will doom our own existence from recklessness and sugar. Doom, doom, doom, Dib sit down!" she shouted.
"Um, do you think I could bring Zim home? He's kind of…unconscious." Dib said uneasily.
"How long?" He looked down at Zim.
"Pretty long."
"Fine. Less students that I have to teach and less ungrateful children I have to see every day. Melvin, bring them their homework after Skool. Now leave." she answered curtly and pointed towards the door. Dib hoisted Zim's body up as best he could and slowly left the classroom (after giving Zita a death glare). From there, he was able to get Gaz out of class so she could help him haul Zim back to the base.
"So Dib, what happened?" Gaz asked sounding the slightest bit concerned. Dib shrugged it off as nothing.
"Zita started insulting him and he passed out."
"Doesn't look that simple." she replied while pointing to Zim's back. More blood was flowing from the lower PAK hole and some was starting to leak out of the upper one too. The PAK itself was still working at a frenzied pace to repair itself after the little ordeal.
"We should get him back fast since I don't know how much damage was done to his PAK."
"Then what are you waiting for Dib? Hurry it up already."
Darkness surrounded him. Strange groans came from all directions. Where was he?
"Zim." He looked around frantically.
"Eh? Who is it? Show yourself before the almighty Zim you coward!" Dib stepped into his field of vision. There was something different about him; he looked, darker, frightening more than anything else. "Dib!" Zim yelled, "I-You don't know how happy I am to see you right now! So, where are we?"
"Your memories, your fears." the fake-Dib replied.
"Oh so you're one of those figmenty-thingies?"
"Precisely."
"Then why aren't you glowing? And slightly transparent? And talking for that matter?"
"You've been playing way too many Earth video games Zim. That was only a representation of what a subconscious might look like."
"Blame Gaz for letting me play it. She had me play it since it was one of her favorites and the main character kind of sounded like me when I wasn't yelling and he didn't like water."
"Yeah, that sounds about right."
"So, what am I here for?" Zim asked, finally getting back to the subject.
"You passed out in Skool, remember?"
"Curse that horrible child! I will destroy her! I am ZIM!"
"Please, you couldn't kill anyone on Earth. You know it, and I know it." Zim sighed.
"I know. I know." Realization hit as Zim remembered his last conscious memory. "Wait, what was the last thing I said before passing out?"
"I believe it was 'Are you trying to kill me again' or something like that."
"Eh?" Zim gasped. "If she finds out what I meant the whole Skool will know! Dib, you have to help me!" Dib just smiled. It wasn't a friendly smile, more like one of those cruel, sadistic smiles.
"Oh Zim, as you say, have you the brainworms? Look around and tell me where you are." Zim finally took in his position. He was strapped to a steel table, bound by metal straps locked to the table. To his right were vivisection tools of all shapes and sizes. Zim gagged at the sight to the left. There was GIR in pieces as well as Minimoose. His eyes watered for his most loyal friends were now mangled bits of metal, completely obliterated. If a random person had looked at the table, they wouldn't have even thought that the pieces had once been a robotic floating moose and a hyperactive taco-loving robot.
"Why Dib? Why?" Zim choked out. Dib's smile widened as he picked up the sharpest scalpel from the tray to the right.
"Because Zim," he replied, "you made it too easy." With that, Dib cut through Zim's skin to his squeedilyspooch. Zim cried out in pain and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, Almighty Tallests Red and Purple were watching, laughing the whole time. But in the corner, he saw Gaz. Her eyes were open and showed concern, the only one who cared.
"Take GIR and Minimoose." Zim whispered, closing his eyes once more. *Like there's anything to take care of.* he thought bitterly. Suddenly, he felt something shaking him.
"Zim. Zim come on! Wake up spaceboy!" the voice said.
"D-Dib?" Zim whispered almost hesitantly.
"Zim! Zim wake up!"
"MASTER! Why yous sleepy? Why? Play with piggy Master!"
"GIR?" Zim opened his eyes once more to see Dib, Gaz, GIR, and Minimoose around him.
"Master! I misseded yoooouuuuu so much!" Gir shrieked while giving Zim his death hug of doom.
"Gah! GIR! Can't breathe! Ah! My organs!"
"Oops. Sorry Mastah! I'm gonna go make waffles! TACO WAFFLES!" GIR ran off to the kitchen.
"Nya!" Minimoose squeaked to Zim then proceeded to follow GIR into the kitchen.
"Good thing I made Minimoose. GIR means well, but he's burned down the kitchen one too many times." Zim remarked.
"Zim, what happened?" Dib asked, concern clearly written across his face. Zim relaxed at the thought. If Dib was concerned for his well-being then he wouldn't turn him in to that weird paranormal network thing. What was it again, some sort of puffy meatball?
"Um...I had an extremely graphic dream about my vivisection. Nothing much though."
"What? What do you mean?"
"Exactly what I said Dib-monkey."
"Ok fine! You are so infuriating!"
"How so Dib? You're just being vague!"
"I'm trying to help you! Keeping things like this bottled up is no good! Do you want to become depressed again?"
"Eh? That's not what I meant! Nightmares will NOT make me depressed for no reason! I'm over that anyway!"
"Really, because in class it seemed different! Which reminds, Torque's probably going to beat us up."
"Hm. When?"
"No clue."
"That's helpful (obvious sarcasm). Hey, where were we again?"
"Um, what happened in class?"
"Oh yeah. Blame the filthy female Zita! She provoked me!"
"Well, how did she provoke you?"
"Are your hearing units impaired? She called me..."
"Wha-oh. Right. Zim, I'm sorry."
"Please Dib I don't need your stupid compassion. I feel like you still did nothing."
"Zim, I freaking brought you home! I stood up for you after you fainted."
"That's not exactly what I meant." Zim mumbled, but Dib still thought it was about class.
"You've said so yourself, you can take care of yourself."
"Dib, what was the last thing I said before passing out?"
"Uh...I don't really remember..."
"'Are you trying to kill me again?' That's what I said Dib! Zita's smart enough to figure it out! She'll tell the whole Skool!"
"Zim, I'm-"
"Don't say it. Just go."
"But-"
"Please Dib, just leave me alone." Hesitantly, Dib walked toward the door.
"Zim, if you need me, I'm here." he said and walked out the door to his house. Gaz still sat next to Zim on the couch. Zim looked at her and sighed.
"Can I tell you?" he said quietly.
"What happened?" she asked.
"The autopsy where Dib…you know."
"Why? Dib wouldn't stoop so low. I've known him my whole life and so far, I've learned two things. One: he's freaking annoying when he talks about that paranormal stuff. Two: you can trust him pretty well. He won't spill a secret easily and he's a loyal friend for the most part. All the shit I've told you about my life, only you and Dib know. Which reminds me, why don't you tell him half the stuff you tell me?" Zim sighed.
"It's complicated. After all, I'm still getting used to my arch enemy being my best friend as well as his 'scary sister'." Zim joked. That earned him a punch in the arm.
"Don't push your luck spaceboy."
"Hey, that's the Dib's nickname for me." She shrugged.
"What? Not good enough for you?"
"Silly Earth-female, no puny Earth-being is good enough for the almighty ZIM!" He laughed. "Did I seriously sound like that?"
"Yep. Now stop talking, if you make me lose this level, I'll destroy you." She laughed too. "I sounded like that too?"
"Still do." They both laughed together. "Wow, I actually don't miss those days of cat and mouse."
"Not surprising. So, why won't you tell Dib about your nightmare?"
"I don't want to unsettle him. I trust him and he trusts me. I don't want him to have any reason for doubt. Sure, being discovered still scares the crap out of me but I don't want him to think that he's the one I'm afraid of. Does that make sense?"
"Yeah, I understand. What do you think being discovered would be like?"
"Terrible. Humans storming my base, ripping GIR and Minimoose away from me, putting me in one of those horrible inferior stasis tubes, autopsies, and torture."
"Torture?"
"From being on Earth, I have learned that human scientists search for knowledge. Now, imagine that you are your father and you have just discovered a new form of intelligent life."
"Intelligent isn't exactly how I'd put it."
"Oh shut up! Anyway, you want information about this strange race. You will do anything to get what you want but this creature is stubborn and won't tell. So what is your only option?"
"Force them to."
"Exactly, that force you speak of is torture. If they discover me, it's only a matter of time until they discover my weaknesses. But truthfully, that's really not what I'm most afraid of."
"Really? What is then?"
"GIR and Minimoose. Both are, compared to Earth technology, advanced robots. If human-scientists get them, then they will be tested on and dismantled. I don't want that to happen to them. I'd rather be autopsied a million times over than have GIR even scratched by the inferior screwdriver-thing."
"Wow. It seems like you really care for them."
"I owe my life to them more times than I can count." he said looking at the floor, remembering the last near-death experience that hadn't happened too long ago. "Plus," he added, "They were my first and only friends for a while. GIR, I put him through so much. He should never have had to experience that, nobody should. Not just the emotional stress I put on him, but the physical too. You remember, he was almost destroyed by the device that saved my life. Well, almost saved my life."
Gaz sighed, then after a brief moment of silence said, "What happened to the old Zim?"
"He committed suicide."
"I like the new Zim better."
"You know, I think I do too. No more stress from the Tallest, no more working day and night, I'm not a slave to anything anymore. I can do what I actually want to do instead of what I was programmed to do. I can listen to my emotions." Gaz and Zim slowly leaned towards each other, their faces only inches away from each other. They closed their eyes and prepared for...
"Waffle tacos for everybody!" GIR shrieked as he ran around the living room while tossing his "waffle tacos" to Gaz, Zim, and Minimoose (who had entered the room moments before GIR). Gaz and Zim looked down at the food and looked into each other's eyes. After a moment of silence, they burst out into laughter. Dib, on the other hand, was having trouble with the S.E.N. while insanity broke loose in Zim's base.
Once Dib reached his house, he automatically went to his room. He instinctively looked over to his computer. The screen read 12 new e-mails. "Let's get this over with." he sighed. He was furious with Zim at the moment. He did help Zim, so why did Zim feel that way? Dib sat at the desk and read through the first e-mail. All twelve he figured were from the Swollen Eyeball. They were. One in particular was interesting; it was from Agent Dark Booty. It read:
Agent Mothman,
After months of work, I was finally able to help you prove the existence of the alien "Zim" to the other members. The council has allowed you to use any means necessary and any tools you like to apprehend the alien menace. You are privileged to lead the assault, take any technology you like, and run the autopsy. I await your orders young one. You have done well Mothman, but do what you feel is right. I got your last e-mail about Zim and it was...interesting to say the least. It's up to you.
Yours truly,
Agent Dark Booty
"I-I-I can expose Zim. I can have my vindication. No, no I can't. We're friends now. But, why won't he talk to me? He talks to Gaz a lot. But no, I can't betray him like that..." Dib said aloud.
*Yes you can.* a voice said.
"What? Who are you?" he asked shakily.
*I am you. Now do what you were meant to do. Get your vindication.*
"But, that's wrong. I trust Zim and he trusts me. We're friends."
*So, what if he is double-crossing you?*
"What? He wouldn't do that!"
*This may be one huge plan to destroy you and the world.*
"No, it couldn't. Zim wouldn't stoop that low."
*How do you know? Why do you think he only talks to your sister? He's getting to you Dib! Stop him now!*
"Ok, you little fu-"
*Oh, that's not very nice Dib.*
"Well, what should I call you? You are such an annoyance!"
*If you must, Mr. Eff.*
"Fine Mr. Eff."
*Like I said, he's using your sister. Do you want Gaz to be hurt?*
"Well, no bu-"
*Then the only way is to expose Zim!*
"No it's not! He's different now!"
*How different? He's the same evil alien thing you met that day in school! Now save the world Dib! This is not about your vindication anymore! It's about the Earth, your home, your family! Do you want those to be destroyed?*
"No, I don't."
*Good, then you know what to do.*
"Yes. I do." Dib said darkly. He sat back at his desk and typed a reply to Agent Dark Booty.
Agent Dark Booty,
I have decided to apprehend the alien menace for I believe he is deceiving me. I will give you specific orders later once I figure out a fool-proof ("More like GIR-proof." Dib said to himself,) plan.
Agent Mothman
*Very good,* said Mr. Eff, *you're on your way Dibby, you're on your way.*
A/N: Yeah, you saw it coming from It Can All End in a Minute. I like the theory of Dib becomes Nny. I don't know why, I just do. Anyway, I'll post the next chapter once it's done and once I'm halfway done with Chapter 3. None of my stories will ever be abandoned since I have some little thing about not finishing stuff. If I don't finish something, it will annoy the heck out of me until I actually finish the damn thing. So no matter how bad a story is, expect an ending. It may not happen fast or be what you expected, but there will be an ending. But after a year and nothing's been updated, feel free to give up hope. Reviews are always welcome, but not required. I just want feedback so I'm not writing something in the dark. They just tell me how I'm doing as a writer, what to improve, and what to never ever EVER do in a story.