Dib's reaction was pure, bone-chilling terror. The color automatically drained from his face. At the sight of the green patch of skin on the neck of the new girl, he knew that his suspicions had been correct, Lai was not of this world, and worse yet, she did…no, she WAS related to the very force that threatened Earth. An urge to defend the dwelling of his fellow man was excruciating, he had to…he must…Bursting through the door, he bounds off the top step and hurries across the blacktop, preparing to lunge at Lai. She turns her head in his direction, now aware that his presence is known. Still holding the unconscious Irken that is Zim firmly on her left shoulder, biding her time for the correct moment, she jumps away from the on-coming Dib, who then crashes into his future self. The weapon in which he intended to use on the now-known alien girl and the determined-yet- ignorant Invader Zim flies out of his hands as the rocketing, bigheaded boy that is himself knocks the wind from him. Dib quickly scrambles to his feet, adrenaline rushing through him, only realizing his purpose now, but just before he could make another effort to thwart Lai, she darts away, her speed, that of a bullet train. He had failed. It would be impossible now to catch up with her. But was there a choice to give up? Had he given up when that intergalactic fiend, Zim, tried to carry out yet another plan of planetary destruction? No. Never. Nor would he quit even now! The sound of someone moaning interrupts his reflection upon thought. Turning toward the source, he sees his adult familiar slowly rising, his breath finally regained from the incident. "I figured I couldn't keep myself from this sort of thing," his future self says hoarsely, making eye contact, the visor slightly tilted and yet still covering his eyes. Dib stares on at him, speechless, trying to force his mouth to form words. "I can see this is surprising to you…encountering yourself or what MIGHT be yourself in an alternate future…" A wide smile spreads across the pale face of Dib's foretold version. "It's surprising for me too, seeing myself in my long- lost youth," his smile is then converted into a frown as he continues to speak, "Still pure…Still…"

"Pure?" The present Dib ponders the meaning of his familiar's descriptor, dumb-founded. Future Dib nods, an expression of internal pain reaching his serene features. "Yes, pure…Sometime in the near future, a dark shadow will plague our sovereign planet, natural disasters will occur everywhere…and then…they will come…adding to the suffering and devastation…Our populace, enslaved…Some…will even be fortunate enough to be 'changed', transformed into…one of them…"he pauses briefly, the painful expression still present on his face from his recollection. Dib continues to listen, eager to know what happens next and puzzled at the same time, finally, he asks, "What do you mean 'one of them'?" Raising a hand to his visor, future Dib proceeds further with his explanation. "The Emperor, from living on Earth so long, thought that some of its inhabitants would be co- operative enough, spared from slavery, to become, well, like…like…" No longer standing the tormenting memory any longer, he pulls the visor away from his face. The present version of Dib gasps. Gazing at him now, pair of copper-red eyes, a full color, like that of his enemy. "…Also as worthy punishment for past foes." He couldn't believe his eyes as well as his ears. Is it true that all of his efforts to save his planetary abode…would be nothing more than irritating welts on the skin of his foreign adversary? "No! This can't happen!!" Dib suddenly spits out. Replacing the visor, future Dib steps over to his semi-automatic firearm, bends over, and with both hands, carefully seizes it from the solid concrete tar. He straightens up, cradling it as if it were his child, then cocking it for another shot at the extraterrestrial scum. "It won't." The future Dib whispers, turning to his former child self, "Not if WE prevent it, you and I, we must alter our planet's terrible fate and bring down that menace before it's too late…for us, for our people." Determination now fills in the features of the present Dib's face, as does disbelief once more. His familiar was right…this couldn't be their planets' true destiny. Not after all he did to protect it. Let the alliance between the past and the future be now Earth's defense against the terror…and his offspring…

*****

Things did not seem as recognizable to Lai's Irken perceptibility as they did during the years of her Father's rule. Which will subside if I don't hurry, her thoughts racing just as quickly as she did, dashing through alleyways as well as the front yards of earthen civilians. How she despised them, that vile, disgustingly filthy race! Especially he, the very one who dared to interfere with the royal bloodline. The river rapids that were her consideration clashed against the channels that were her skull. Her mask, giving her the appearance of that of which she loathed entirely had become damp and sticky against her skin beneath. And the lenses that reflected the whole luminous ruby of her eyes began to cloud. She halts, gasping for air, straightening her wig of shoulder-length black hair atop her head, ignoring the itching of her hidden antennae. Leaning against a boarded fence nearby, carefully setting Zim's limp body down, Lai glances around wondering where she had stopped, and at an instant, she knew, stepping forward and turning to face the somewhat oblique, aquamarine house that was Zims' fortress of the past. The walk leading to the front door was narrowly guarded by obstruct figures, which Lai assumed were all part of the security system. She shifts her attention to the nearly motionless Zim, the loved one she had known all of her life, the future Emperor of Irk Beta, formerly known to the humans as "Earth". "Father…I'll never allow them to obliterate the glory that is the Empire…of Irk Alpha and Irk Beta…never." Lai says, a silent affection in her voice, as she took a step toward him. He stirs. Almost time for him to awaken…to reveal to him the secrets kept within the flow of time. Lai kneels down, steadily wrapping her arms around him. Again over her shoulder, she carries him to the place where it all began, the beginning of a new sort of Irken Empire, her home, her future.

*****

Backside throbbing with the ache of failure, to think that a loyal soldier, willing to prove himself to the Almighty two that stood above all, a radical sense of foreboding remains within the mind of the outcast that is Zim. It's hard to believe, that I, Irken Invader Zim, have disappointed the ever-exalted Tallest, to now be a mass of disembowelment, being poked and prodded by the grotesque beasts of this wretched planet. Flow of the conscious mind now recovered, Zim forces the lids of his eyes to open, to gaze upon what may now remain of him. It was hard to tell how long he had been knocked out, but if he knew one thing, the foolish Earth girl known as Lai shall suffer dire consequences, that is, if all of his internal organs remained inside him. Slowly, his eyes open, only directed upon silhouettes above him, then his vision becomes more significant. He found himself staring at the snaking, coiling wires and other various components of machinery…that were inside of HIS laboratory. The great astonishment causes Zim to bolt upright from his lying position, but also in turn, causing pain to shoot throughout his spine. What had that bipedal simian of an Earth stink do to him? Grunting in agony, Zim glances at the control panel of his computer to the right of him; and who should be there but Lai, typing away. …And accessing some of the most relevant data of my mission no doubt, he thinks, swinging his legs over the side of the platform of which he had been set on. Lai stops, hearing the slight clink boots against the chrome floor. She whirls away from the screen, to find infuriated Irken, disguise removed and set off to the side, glaring at her, baring his teeth, all features teeming with rage. " You notorious, despicable worm girl, I shall tear you apart limb from limb, your inferior brain will be-Interrupting him with the calm precision of her voice, Lai says, "I understand you're angry with me, but as I've said before, I had no choice, I knew that if I explained this whole ordeal, you would just dismiss it, be uncooperative… so my only option left was force." Zim, clenching and unclenching his fists at his sides, growls in reply: "Who on this miserable planet are you, what do you want of the great Zim?! Huh?!" It was time. Lai, having not a choice, pops out the lenses secreting the wholeness of her inherited crimson eyes. The easily-irritable Zim, expression loosened into an astounded look of gaping shock, is unable to believe what he is seeing. Next, she tears away the synthetic human appearance, exposing the pale green skin of her true face, as well as her wig, leaving antennae, neatly- curled and tipped with a diamond shape: An Irken female stands before him now. Raising a hand to her forehead in salute, she replies to the practically thunderstruck face of Zim, " Irken Invader Lai, future Empress of the new Irken Empire…and daughter…to the Emperor, Zim…"



Hopefully you all enjoyed this one! More exciting chapters to come, although the next one may contain some language. Sorry this took so long, DARN WRITERS BLOCK!!

Invader Zan of the Irken Elite