Chapter Four: Persistence
Warning: Flagrant cursing. (...I just wanted to say flagrant...lol)

"I'll never tell you a goddamned thing!" Gaz yelled. Two Meekrob held arms against her back, forcing her to sit on the floor.

"No, I don't expect you will," Kaito said with a frown. "What do I have to do to make you sing?"

"Play the right kind of music," Gaz said with a smile. Kaito nodded, but his expression didn't change. "And what will I have to do to make you smile?" Gaz asked, grinning up at him.

"Tell the right kind of joke," Kaito muttered as he left the room. Even after he left, Gaz was still smiling. The guards gathered her up and transported her to some cell, and she was still smiling.

…

The huge stain on the floor wasn't going away, and it never would if Zim only stared at it. But he didn't want to be near it. Across the small room, Tak was tending to Miz again. Damn child was so needy. Dib lay on the floor near him, but Zim refused to look. Was that why Dib wouldn't look at him when he'd fallen? Hesitantly, Zim turned to Dib and let the painful details soak in.

Honestly, it wasn't so bad. They'd got him in the shoulder, and Tak helped him before he lost too much blood. Zim got up and inched towards Dib until he was right next to him. His face was still pale and sweaty, and he made an almost pained expression, but he was still favorable to look at. Zim was very thankful that they found heavy pain killers aboard, or else this would have been so much harder.

Silently, Tak finished and went to the navigation panel, which was in the only other room of the vessel, leaving Zim alone with Dib. He clutched Dib's hand and laid on his back, staring at the ceiling. If Dib died…where would all his Dib-like things go? All that information couldn't just…disappear, could it? Did that mean there was that heaven thing humans always talked about? Damn it, and he couldn't ask Dib for the answers right now.

Another silly human belief was that there was a man in the clouds who watched people. But Zim had been in those skies, and there was no magical person there, or in space. How could there be a person there but not there? Human ideas never made sense.

"Zim?" Tak called.

"What?" Zim said gruffly.

"Come sit with me," She whined. Zim moaned and gazed at Dib longingly. He would have ignored her and stayed with Dib, but Tak's wrath wasn't something he wanted to invoke. So he slowly let go of Dib and went to the next room where Tak sat in the co-pilot seat with Miz sleeping in her arms. Zim sat next to her and stared at space, waiting for Tak to mention whatever it was she wanted.

"Do you ever wish you could forget?" Tak asked quietly. Zim glance over at Tak as she stared out the window.

"…Forget what?" Zim asked, not thinking deeply about Tak's question.

"You know what, asshole," Tak muttered. Zim gave it more thought and realized what she meant.

"Oh…" A comet passed them, just barely visible. "Yeah, I guess so."

"Me too, I'm tired of fighting," Tak sighed. She brought Miz closer to herself. "What are we gonna do, Zim?"

"I dunno…I'm tired of it, too," Zim mumbled, hugging his knees to his chest. "They're not going to stop…we should just leave."

"We should," Tak agreed, "But Dib is so young…he would just run off, back towards the war. And we'd chase him…"

"Yeah, good point," Zim groaned. Dib really didn't understand how pointless fighting was, just like Zim and Tak never used to. "Dib would say he had to help Gaz and Earth or whatever. So going away wouldn't help at all."

"Which can only mean."

"We have to go back to Earth," Zim sighed. Tak nodded and looked at the stars sadly.

"I miss Skoodge," She said softly. Zim watched her, wondering if she felt the same as he did when Dib left, that aching hurt whenever he was apart from Dib. But he didn't ask, he didn't want to even think about it, now. "What do you think will happen to them?" Tak asked fearfully.

"I don't know." He knew exactly.

"I'm scared…" Tak whispered, her strength finally leaving her. "Do you think they'll be okay?"

"Uh-huh," Zim said, trying to think of the right thing to say in the current situation. "They're tough."

…

"Hello," Someone said beside her. Gaz turned her head to see the boy next to her, she recognized him as the gypsy boy from when she was reigning the Irkens. "How has your fate been?" He asked with a sadistic grin.

"…Shut up…" Gaz said with hardly any strength left.

"Did you remember what I told you?" Zayn asked.

"That I would die young," Gaz spat out.

"…Did you find him?" Zayn asked, seeming to ignore Gaz's glaring.

"What…Zim?" Gaz asked, thinking back to their meeting. Zayn nodded. "Yeah…I saved his ass…"

"Did it bring you happiness?" He asked.

"…" What was he getting at? "I guess so…" Then she really thought about it. If it weren't for meeting up with her brother and Zim, Miz might not have made it. Which would have caused her deeper anguish. If she'd never found them and lived with them…she would have been so unhappy. She also wouldn't have been caught by the Meekrob. But really…wasn't that a fair price for those few moments of happiness? "Yes, it did…I was happy…" Gaz said, finally realizing it.

For the first time since having Miz, Gaz found herself smiling with honest happiness. Even though she'd been so evil for so long, she'd finally done something right…she saved Zim and possibly Dib, too. And Miz would probably grow up to save the world from bad things, as long as Dib raised him right. She definitely owed them all a huge apology. When she got out of this she would have to beg for forgiveness big time.

Sitting back and ignoring Zayn's mumbled singing, Gaz thought about this situation. There wasn't much of a chance for her anymore. Sure, they'd let Skoodge off easy, maybe. But Gaz…treason, betrayal, everything else she'd done…. That couldn't be forgiven, not even the Meekrob would forgive her for this.

She hadn't done enough, yet. She bet Zim and Dib still hated her. The thought of it drove a stake through her chest. She'd tried to kill both of them, had manipulated them, broken them. She didn't blame them if they hated her. Their forgiveness was all she wanted now, but she doubted they would, anyway. Everyday after this, she would try to earn forgiveness. After she escaped anyway. Maybe Zayn and his gypsy abilities would come in handy here.

The door grated against the floor noisily when a guard came to get Gaz. Maybe Kaito wanted to play interview again? Who knew, but she was dragged down the hall to a small room with a large video camera. Kaito stood on one end of the room looking pleased with himself.

"We've figured out, Queen Gaz, that you have no information we want," Kaito said, grinning. "So we found an alternative use for you."

"Oh, and that would be to threaten me on TV to get what you want from Irk or something?" Gaz asked, rolling her eyes at the hackneyed idea. "What will you do, bruise me up? Hold a knife to my throat?"

"I was thinking something more permanent," Kaito said, the creepiest, most sadistic grin ever flashing to his face. Gaz's expression fell and she wished she'd never asked to see him smile.

…

"Do you really think this is a good idea?" Zim asked, thinking about the last time he'd watched the news.

"Of course, it is!" Tak said, hooking up the last cable. "This will have tons of information and update us on current events!"

"I hope you're right," Zim muttered. They both watched as an image flickered onto the screen. They sat on the floor in front of the makeshift TV. Dib, finally awake, leaned against Zim.

For a while they simply watched some news station. Then an emergency broadcast was sent out. "Hello, I'm Kaito, but it doesn't matter who I am. It matters who this girl I have here is," The blue haired bastard on the screen pointed down at the girl at his feet. The camera panned to show her face and Dib gasped. It was Gaz, and she looked so miserable.

…

What the hell was Kaito up to? There was such malice in his eyes as he spoke to the camera. Gaz wondered who was watching right now, Dib? Maybe he was watching...if he made it out alive. Of course, he did. How could he not with two Irkens helping him? Yeah...Dib was fine.

"Now, you may be wondering, what is he going to ask in return for Gaz? What's the ransom?" Kaito said, practically glowing with his glee. "Well, surprise! There is no ransom!"

…

"What the hell is he doing?" Tak asked, staring at the screen. Dib watched, horrified, afraid for his sister.

"I think I know..." Zim said gravely, looking away from the TV.

…

No ransom? What did that mean? "I will now take it upon myself to rid the world of this menace. She has played her little domination game for long enough," Kaito said darkly. All glee was gone and only malice remained. Gaz's eyes widened as she realized what he meant.

Kaito made a hand motion and someone handed him a very large knife. He stooped next to Gaz and grabbed her roughly by the hair, thrusting the knife under her throat, not quite piercing her skin, yet.

Is this it? Am I really about to die? Everything in my life...has led up to this...? I...I'm sorry, Dib. I'm sorry, Zim... Miz...I'm sorry, I love you.

Blood gushed onto the floor and all over Gaz and Kaito and ever where. Her life blood was spilled all over the place.

I...I love all of you...all three of you...my...family...

The pain was exponential. It was immense and profound...but it only lasted and moment. And then...there was darkness...and then...nothingness.

Blood stained Gaz's lips and they twisted into a cruel smile that would stay there longer than it should have.

…

"NOOOOO!" Dib yelled. "WHAT THE FUCK!" The yelling woke Miz up and he started to cry, too. Tak got Miz and held him and cried silently, not bothering to stop the tears flowing. As Dib tried to deal with the grief as best he could, Zim did his part and held onto him, also making sure he didn't accidentally hurt himself.

Obviously this would mean a lot to the countries and planets Gaz had ruled...but what did it mean to the people in this ship? Dib was heartbroken...and Tak seemed upset as well. There was no way Miz could know what was happening. What about him though? How did Zim feel about this event? After a moment he decided it could wait, he never knew his feelings. "We...We need to..." Dib gasped, "Have to...get revenge!"

"...okay..." Zim said, not arguing, though he wanted to. He didn't understand familiar bonds...not as much as Dib did, anyway. If he'd had a sister...he may have wanted revenge as well... And Kaito was just a jackass...so he deserved whatever he got.

It felt like something was missing. A vital part was gone from them. They were all family...and an important limb had just been cut off. "Dib..." He looked up. "Gaz...she was my sister, too, wasn't she?" Zim asked, knowing the answer. Dib nodded sadly and inched closer to Zim.

"We're all family, Zim. It just took Gaz a while to see that," Dib said quietly, seeming to calm down some.

"...Do you think she ever did see it?" Zim asked, wondering what Gaz's thoughts had been as she died.

"...I'm sure she did," Dib said. Zim would have argued the logic in Dib's belief, but for once, it seemed inappropriate. So, Zim let Dib ignorantly belief that Gaz had thought something that Zim seriously doubted she would have realized. He had barely thought of it, himself.

…

There in a dark room stood Gaz. She was just as dominating as always. But suddenly the scene changed, and Gaz was a mere girl who liked being charge...she had a ring of blood staining her neck. "...We are family," Gaz said, her voice hollow and empty, so devoid of any emotion.

"...I know..." Zim answered, wondering why she had to state it again.

"Because, you don't understand..." Gaz told him, knowing his thoughts.

Panic ripped through him. "G-Get out of my head! Don't read my thoughts!" Zim yelled, Gaz didn't even flinch, like she expected him to yell.

"I can't get out until the dream is over. And I'm not reading your thoughts or listening to them, or whatever. I just know them, like how I know mine," Gaz explained. "And I did expect you to yell. You overreact a lot."

"...Quit that," Zim complained.

"Whiner," Gaz grunted.

"Why are you here? You're dead..." Zim asked, wondering why she wasn't in whatever afterlife thing she believed in.

"I'm here to help you, dumbass," Gaz mumbled, "And I don't believe in an afterlife..."

"How are you here then?" Zim asked curiously.

"I don't know! Does it matter? I'm here to freaking help you, so quit asking so many God-damned questions," Gaz ordered. So Zim shut up and waited for Gaz to go on. "Our boy is in trouble, Zim," Gaz said gravely.

"Our boy...?" Zim echoed, wondering where she got that phrase from.

"Yes, Dib. He belongs to both of us, you know," Gaz explained.

"What kind of trouble..?" Zim asked, choosing not to argue and say that Dib was his alone. They were in the middle of a dead zone, where no other ships traveled.

"Not outside dangers," Gaz said, pointing to her head, "Inside dangers." Before he could ask what the fuck she meant, Gas dissipated., leaving behind a very confused Zim.

…

Why was everything always so horrible? How come bad things were constantly happening to them? It was like a curse, and no one was free from it! Especially Dib...bad things kept happening to his loved ones...everyone he loved...they were always dying. First his dad, then Zim, and Gaz, too. Zim hadn't died, but he sure did go through hell. His dad died because of all the shit Dib kept doing, He was the one who'd wanted to confront the Professor...and it was equally his fault that Kei followed them there...

Did he even need to start with Zim? They used to be mortal enemies, but even then, Dib wouldn't have willingly chosen to put Zim through all that he had. He'd been dissected...twice, and nearly died so many times. He'd loved Dib and lost him, while playing a sick game with death. That must have been an ultimate hell. Not that Dib hadn't suffered as well. But he merely loved Zim more than himself, so causing the alien pain was worse than being inflicted pain himself.

And Gaz...oh his poor sister. She'd lost everything. Dib wasn't sure what all Gaz had been through, and he was sure he didn't want to know. But at least some of it had to be caused by him. She'd grown to rule entire empires and had so much power. But she'd also been controlled by the Tallest, and impregnated with an alien child. Gaz had got to have a child...one that she loved, the only thing that she showed any emotion towards. And it was ripped away from her. Her entire life was ripped away. Because Dib had gone back into that fucking ship...and Gaz had gotten captured...which had lead to her eventual death.

And not to mention, Dib had killed several people a while back. So, death seemed to follow him now. It went wherever he did. Which was pretty messed up. Eventually...it was gonna hurt Zim and Miz, too. So...he had to leave, just had to get away. He glanced at the sleeping Zim, so innocent and vulnerable. He couldn't let the already disturbed Irken be touched further by death and chaos.

Getting up slowly, Dib went to the master control in the next room. Painfully, he shut the door, his shoulder still wounded despite the Irken medicines. He sat at the console and searched it for places to go. Several minutes into the searching he was interrupted by a squeak behind him. He turned and saw the door opening, a sleepy and surprised little Irken appearing. "What are you doing, Dib?" Zim asked, peeking his head in curiously.

"I'm leaving," Dib said, not turning around, "I have to go."

"Where do you think you'll go?" Zim asked, a bit darkly, coming to loom over Dib.

"Somewhere far away," Dib replied. Zim's shadow still hovered over him, and even seemed to darken.

"And why would that be?" Zim asked, his tone demanding and none too happy.

The tone made Dib stumble in his work, he was surprised to see how dominant Zim was being. Of course, he always used to be this way. "…I need to avenge Gaz," Dib said, which was a half-truth.

"We will, Dib. Tak is still tracing the signal to find Kaito. Don't worry, we'll kill this bastard," Zim said, lightening up a bit.

Now what could he say? "Zim…I still need to leave," Dib uttered, forcing himself through this. For a moment, they were both silent. "…Zim?" Dib turned around to see Zim glaring his worst at him.

"…You're not leaving," Zim stated.

"I need to," Dib whispered.

"Why?" Zim asked. When Dib didn't respond he tried again. "Give me one reason, one good reason, why I would let you leave this ship."

"Death…" Dib said, feeling chills at his sides. "It's gonna get us…it follows me, Zim. If I don't leave…It'll get you, too…"

When Dib looked up he saw Zim grinning. "Stupid human," Zim said, "Death can't follow people…except maybe in Final Destination…but death isn't following you."

"…You don't understand…everyone I love ends up dying," Dib explained, "…and you…you got so tortured…" Zim's grin went away, and Dib couldn't quite read his expression, it was mostly blank. "Dad died, Gaz died, we've both been hurt now…even Skoodge got captured…something's gonna happen…"

"Something is gonna happen," Zim said strongly, "We're gonna get pay back for everything. Don't worry about me, and don't worry about yourself, I'll protect you." Zim smiled and a weird feeling came over him.

"Thanks…" Dib sighed.

"Whatever. Get some sleep, stupid," Zim ordered, "We've got a ton of work tomorrow."

…

…

…

Sort of happy ending :) :( maybe?

You know...I didn't realize it but...Miz backwards is Zim...lol

Okay. I'll be updating more frequently. High school is over, applying for college is over, and I have rediscovered sugar. :3 hells yeah. (flagrant cursing, what'd I tell ya?)

Oh also, sudden burst of creativity thanks to Invader Sideos :D my hero in the world of fanfiction. Plz R&R KthxBy!