Heyo! This chapter is dialogue-heavy and a li'l shorter than I'd usually prefer. But I don't wanna add another scene or drag these scenes out, so have it for what it is: a fairly quick update

Shout out go guest reviewer Ze-Zir, whose review made me so happy that I sat down and wrote all this in like, two days! Ze-Zir, thank you for your kinds review, I hope you can afford celebratory ice cream again in the future! :D

Chapter 27

Dib glared daggers at the Queen.

He had trusted her and how gentle and caring she was. Now, though, as Zim stood tensely beside him, with his shoulders up to his ears (metaphorically – Zim still had no ears) and fists balled at his sides, he felt that amount of trust crumbling down.

"Please explain, your Majesty", he almost spat the title. Only the vague reminder in his brain that she, after all, was a highly respected political leader of an alien race, stopped him," just, why?"

"Dib", the Queen said, with forced indifference," I'm sorry it had to be this way."

"You're sorry? Your majesty, what does that even mean? You've held a secret this big away from us and that's all you have to say?"

"Show more respect for the Queen of Vort!" Fasdi Mi, now in her guard role, barked.

"It's fine", the Queen said with a dismissive hand gesture," I a simple apology is not enough."

"That's right", Dib said. Beside him, he sensed Zim leaned closer to him, as though to seek comfort.

The queen let out a small, regretful sigh. Dib knew, deep inside where he could admit things even when he was angry, that she did not want a verbal fight with him. Vortians were peaceful creatures, and the Queen had proved to be an especially kind spirit. Still though, she was in the wrong, and Dib seethed.

"I knew you would be against this… speed-up of our plans, and I regret that I truly had no other choice than to with-hold some information from the both of you. But it is true; our first expedition to recruit wild Irkens was a success, and the four specimen brought back are promising in our advances to create a super soldier that will preserve world peace."

"'Recruit'? That's what you call kidnapping other intelligent beings for your project?" Dib asked venomously. "Zim told me those Irkens were in cages, screaming to be set free. That's not what I would call recruiting!"

The queen would not meet his eyes, he noticed, so he must have hit a sore spot. He wondered if she was still hiding something from him.

"They will … learn, about our civilized world, and so they will understand the honor of getting to become part of this."

Dib wanted to scream in frustration.

"You know what that sounds like to me? Fucking colonialism. You don't get to take people from their homes just because you think they would be better off serving you!" he exclaimed. So far, the Queen hadn't used any arguments that could make him forgive her, and her apology seemed even more insignificant than before.

"The finalization of this project is in high demand around the universe. I am sorry, but this is bigger than simply the Irkens – this is universal politics. We can save so many lives if we just finished this project!"

"Oh, God", Dib put a hand to his face, fighting hard to keep his body from trembling and his voice at an acceptable volume.

"I'm sorry you had to find out like this, Dib. And you too, Zim. I apologize that you had to see your kind suffer, but … perhaps you even agree with me? Don't you think other Irkens can improve if given a PAK, as well?" She continued.

"Oh, I … do not particularly care for other Irkens. They often try to eat me, you know?" Zim said, but his antennae were still flat on his head," I would be happy if I never got to see another Irken my entire life."

"You do not want them to become part of all that you've learned here on Vort?"

"I, uh", Dib could tell Zim was getting more uncomfortable with each word, so he interjected.

"He's safer without them. He chose to come here, but you forced these other Irkens away from their lives. From everything they knew! I think maybe it's time to stop this whole thing."

"What?"

He had said the last part on a whim – but he found that they felt right. This whole project had been dangerous from the beginning, and now he knew he could not trust the ones he worked with in this. However, he hadn't expected the biggest reaction to come out of Zim, who had nothing to gain from universal peace, and who had only tagged along to be with Dib himself. It was Zim who had exclaimed his chock, and whipped his head to look at him with big, non-understanding eyes.

"If you wish to, you can return to earth", the Queen said," though I would prefer it if you did not. It is your father's work we're developing here, but we will not stop just because you do not wish to be part of it. The same goes for you, Zim."

Dib clenched his hands at how powerless he truly was to stop this, but he took a deep breath and nodded.

"Fine. We'll leave for earth, and you can keep doing inhumane things to other aliens as you wish, does that make you happy?"

The Queen looked taken aback, eyes wide and mouth open. Maybe if she had expected him to resign so quickly she would not have suggested he leave. He basked in the brief smugness he felt at that, before turning around.

"C'mon, Zim. Let's pack our stuff."

"What? But- Uh, what?" he heard Zim sputter.

It seemed like they wouldn't get to make a dramatic exist after all. He turned around again, and saw multiple conflicting feelings run through Zim's eyes.

"Let's pack our things and go to home, yeah? I'll show you how my old apartment looked like", he said, and Zim frowned.

"No! I- earth? But, this is home," he said, and Dib watched him do that hand thing he did when he suffered the language barrier.

He did feel the rising guilt, though. Geez, had he called earth Zim's home when the alien hadn't even been there? That was a dick move, but he had been too angry to notice. Of course Zim would not be as ready to leave than him – he was even more wrapped up in this project than Dib himself!

"Then I'll go …" by my own. He didn't even finish the sentence.

No, his life would be pretty useless without Zim – his best friend. Earth had nothing to offer him, a dying planet as it was. He knew he would not leave without Zim. And he knew and Zim would not leave just because things weren't going like they had planned.

"Oh God", he said instead. He rubbed at his face before he looked back at the other people on the room. The Queen stood silently, back held straight and face neutral, but he could see a drop of sweat forming beneath her left horn. Zim looked at him with wide eyes, almost frantic at what he had almost said he'd do. Fasdi Mi held her weapon loosely, but here eyes were sharp – judging.

"… Do Sev En and Lard Nar know about this? The capturing Irkens thing?" he asked.

"They do … to a degree. I have not told them that the troop sent out has returned, but they knew we were already searching for recruits."

Dib did not relax fully at that, but at least he knew they hadn't hidden the existence of other Irkens on Vort from him.

And anyway, this was not the time to be angry at them.

"Okay", he said. He ran a hand through his hair, thought grimly that he should cut it, then nodded. "Okay. I guess we're doing this."

They would make an army of Irkens.

Zim had no idea what just happened.

He had barely had time to be properly angry at the Queen before Dib told them they were done and- he couldn't bothtell Dib down and yell at the Queen! And now they were walking off – Dib a little too fast for Zim to keep up comfortably.

"Dib! Dib-thing! Stink-boy! Dib-smell!"

Dib would not listen. He did, however, wince at some insults, so Zim took that as a success.

"Hyooman! Earth-stink! Dib-monkey! Junk-pile! Trash-child!"

"Who's teaching you these", Dib said as he finally turned around.

"Zim has a natural talent", Zim said, then remembered the more pressing manners," hey! You didn't do anything! The Irkens are still here! We could be murdered in our sleep, Dib, and you didn't stop it!"

"We won't get murdered. And I tried, so there's that."

He looked tired, but Zim hissed.

"But we could be murdered!" Now that he knew they were here, he could smell them everywhere, like a phantom pain, but a scent. Logically, he knew they were kept in cages in some far off room somewhere. Instinctually though, he expected them to jump out from any corner.

"Zim. Don't worry about it. We can't stop this project. Heck, you probably don't even want to, so let's just … sleep", Dib sighed tremendously," Tomorrow, I'll figure somethin' out. We'll, I guess we'll make the best of it. Okay?"

"Sleep?" Zim wasn't tired. He had not been truly tired on a long time – which Dib cursed every night for some reason. "But what about-"

"Tomorrow. Okay?" Dib snapped, and Zim shut up. Not because he was particularly intimidated, but he did know, inside, that they actually were powerless right now. That's how politics worked, or whatever. He did not know.

He huffed and tilted his head at Dib.

"Well. At least we are staying. Right?" he asked, and did not sound as angry as he'd aimed for.

"… Yeah. This is home, yanno?" Dib said, hinting on a smile.

"Yes! It is!" Zim said. He relaxed finally – he had not even realized how tense he'd been since Dib had said they would leave Vort.

He kept on walking in silence, until Dib sighed.

"Man. I just wanna shower and sleep."

TBC

I fear this chapter got a little Too Real, but I didn't mean to I swear lol.

Dib is mostly upset at the inhumane way these Irkens got captured. Zim on the other hand couldn't care less about that - He's terrified at the thought of Irkens 'invading' his safe little life on Vort!

Anyways, I hope all of you take good care! I'll probably not update this before christmas, so see you sometimes after that. Not gonna be more specific or I'lö dissappoint someone hahahaha...

/Reptile