"My Tallest!" Zim yelled partway in astonishment partway in excitement and partway in disbelief. His rubbed his eyes, still gawking with a wide mouth at what was in front of him or more so who.
Red and Purple looked to each other with confusion written all over their faces. In front of them was Dib- the new Tallest, Zim- their outcasted zillion times failed at being an invader Irken, Tak- the invader turned General, and some humanoid female. They could vaguely see behind the crowd two Sir units but from where they were crouched it was hard to see anything but legs. Pixi moved forward, just as curious as Gaz had been, for she had never seen them before and as soon as she did the garnered a reaction from the two. Both of their antenna shot up in surprise and delight and they both ran over to the screen, pressing their clawed hands upon it.
"PIXI!" They both cried out happily.
Pixi blinked slowly, squinting her eyes. A small zap jolted through her brain and all her memories came careening back into her all at once. She smiled big and bright, leaning her head against the screen. She felt relief and something close to happiness. If she had been more like Gir she might have even cried.
"Masters!"
Zim really couldn't have gaped any wider than he already was. This whole time, this whole entire time, he had the service of a Sir unit owned by his Tallest! If only he had known he would not have made her into a slave of sorts. He would have given her more decency and treated her fairer. She wasn't even polished and in pristine condition! What would his Tallest think of him? What would they say!? It was true he had saved her but to him that was his honor if it belonged to them.
"Pixi where have you been? And how did you find us?" Red questioned, trying to formulate it all in his mind seeing as the people before him were not acting like the people he knew them to be nor would they have brought back his (okay their) Pixi.
"There is not enough time to talk about stories and explanations right now. Louie, see if you can get them out," Gaz explained. She was not as shocked as Zim was that Pixi was a Sir unit to high commanders of Irk because she acted sort of posh and dignified. It made sense why she could not remember her master's face- because she had two masters and they did look awfully similar.
Louie nodded, moving forward, causing the two lanky Irkens to shrink back but only slightly. This was all strange for them. The earth girl did not call him Dib at all and Dib would not free them so casually. Also, Tak was calling them by formal, proper names when they were no longer the Tallest and Zim was surprisingly quiet. Usually he would be screaming with joy at seeing his leaders. Louie pressed his hand against the keypad and it unlocked, just as the others did. The former Tallest watched the screen slide back and flicked their eyes up at this person who was in every regard identical to the boy who had overthrown them on that fateful day.
The keypad would not have unlocked for anyone but him, even if the person looked like him to the T. Did the human have a secret brother, a twin? Even so it would have not registered him. He'd have to be Dib and no one else. Exactly the same. You could imagine just how kerfuffled their brains were with everything that was happening thus far. Today was shaping up to be one of the most eventful days they have had in the last couple of years. Pixi ran over to her true masters and bowed at them deeply. To her surprise they picked her up and hugged her, crushing her between the two of their bodies.
Zim was all too happy to let her go, she did not belong to him. Gaz was going to miss her but if all went well, she would see her often anyways. Krit was happy for her, she had found what she was missing. Zim now realized that he was still in the Tak skin and Krit in his own, now understanding why his Tallest were looking at them like his head just grown another head. He removed his disguise finally, taking in a large gulp of breath like he had been suffocating. Honestly, he was. Tak's scent was particularly harsh to his senses and it feel grosser than gross having her body on his in any type of way. Krit followed suit, assuming it was okay. Plus, the two in front of him would only be more befuddled if there was two Zims; As it stood right now there was already Two Dibs. Red and Purple looked at the two, their reveal not helping the confusion they were in.
"I... still don't get it," Purple admitted, scratching behind his left antennae.
Zim saluted to them, after all they were still of some authority to him no matter what and his coding just told him he had to. They were to him far more his Tallest than Dib would ever be. "My Tallests! Permit me, but we have come on a mission to overthrow the scum named Dib. We have amassed a sizable army and as you can clearly see we have a few tricks up our sleeves to combat with."
"Oh...Well good luck with that," Red dismissed, waving at them with a smile.
Gaz raised an eye brow, her arms crossed tightly. "You're not even going to join us?"
"Sounds like your battle and we don't side with humans anyways, especially ones who look like that," Red remarked, pointing at Louie who drew himself back a little.
"It's your battle too and don't worry about him. We just needed him to get in because he had the same goes as Dib. As for siding with humans, tch, you have a human siding with you! I'm willing to risk my life for your planet and your people because what my brother did is sick, disturbing, and unethical and not in a good way. Also it was plain stupid. If I can do that then you can suck it up and work with us."
Purple looked at Red with a questioning look that turned imploring. "No, don't even say it. We aren't going to fight with them. No sir."
"Aww come on, Red! We haven't been in an actual war in since the battle of X'roclurks. It will be fun! Plus, I really want to get back at that pointy haired big-headed guy for stealing our jobs!"
"I said no! Don't you see that we're in way over our antenna? No more pouting...I said no more...stop it...!"
"Buuut Reeeeeed they brought back Pixi safe and sound. They must have taken care of her. We owe them at least a small favor...and I really really really want to go. Pleeeeeeaaassseeeeee?"
Purple put is clawed hands together and made his eyes bigger. Zim looked at them back and forth. He couldn't believe one of his Tallest was being such a- oh he hated to say this but it was true- a coward! They were blood born to fight! How could he walk away from his own kind like that? Zim could tell clear as day they were treated terribly, probably given very little to eat and what there was had to be dry crusts and rotten fruit, and their green skin was marked with wounds presumably more from Tak than anyone else since she was the violent one. Still, that did not excuse the behavior, if anything it should be the defining reason, the driving factor pushing him to carry on. Krit didn't get it either and he was still a preteen basically just a smeet not too long ago. He was the youngest in the group, the youngest he knew of willing to stake his life, his Pak, his everything on this.
These were supposed to be his Tallest, his true Tallests, the ones who were meant to take the ruler role and yet Zim and Gaz fit it so much more. They were courageous, bold, strong, daring, and cared vastly for the Irken race even if one of them wasn't. In Zim he had found the will to be who you are no matter how people perceive you and that no matter how many times you drop you can always get yourself up. In Gaz he found that strength can come from weakness and if anything, strength HAS to come from it, there is no being strong without breaking and once the breaking is done you can truly be mighty. They were his mentors, his masters, he had come to see them as such and so much more. The two before him seemed more childlike than he, arguing over something like this. It was obvious what had to be done. He stepped forward, even going in front of Zim and Gaz.
"You shame yourselves! Cowards!" He cried into their faces, his lime green eyes unwaveringly, boldly staring into theirs. Zim was flabbergasted at Krit's actions and tried to pull him back with some force to stop him from further lashing out at the people who had led the planet for so much longer than he was around for.
"Krit stop it!" He hissed, in a panicked, worried yet firm way. "Forgive him my Tallest, he's too young to understand not to speak like that."
"Zim, let him go, he's doing nothing wrong. Young or not he's absolutely right. You are shaming yourselves and your entire race. A mere human has already bested you and you cowards are all too happy to see it happen again. Well I'm not. I won't see this beautiful place go down in flames, I won't see all the hard work the Irkens have put into this get smeared by Dib's blood covered hands, and I won't keep standing here doing nothing about it. That's what quitters do, and I don't ever quit any game. I win it."
Gaz turned around hotly, breathing out of her nose, and walking at a quickened pace away from everyone there. Krit got out of Zim's grasp and followed her, Gir coming after having said nothing this whole time, his eyes still red. Louie looked back behind him as he followed her too leaving only Pixi and Zim. Pixi had a duty to stay and serve her masters but everything in her system was telling her to go after Gaz, to make sure she was alright, to babysit Krit, to keep an eye on Gir, and to also be a part of this fight. It was her fight too. What was she supposed to do in this situation? Follow her commands or follow her nonexistent heart?
She belonged with the Tallest, she felt something in her chest say that she did like them, but she had spent most of her conscious life amongst these others. She had belonged to them too. Zim was floored by everything he had heard and witnessed but what had floored him the most was that they were true. He had never felt Gaz said anything just to be nasty, if she made a rude remark it was an honest one or you had gotten on her nerves. They had done both. He was experiencing some of the same things Pixi was feeling, a tear between duty and heart but he decided his quickly. His duty was not to stay here and act like a total pansy. It was always to be by Gaz's side and end this futile reign of Dib's once and for all. Whether death or banishment he did not care. It needed to end. Now.
Gaz had been there for him when his own Tallest, the people he had just previously stood up for, abandoned him entirely. Shunned away, made into a joke, never once cared about not even for a second. Yet he was standing by their side like he owed them something. Gaz had not cared about what he had done in his past, she had not let it define him, and she never saw him as a failure or a freak. She loved his enthusiastly evil laughs, she loved his outlandish way of speaking, she loved him even when he was arrogant to the highest point, and she loved his flaws. She loved him.
She was his life-literally without her he might not even have one right now. Further than that she was and had always been treated as his Queen. Why in the name of the Mother of Irk was he still standing here? Red and Purple were also very much stunned because for the longest no one had talked to them like that. Tak mistreated them, even physically hurt them at times, and Dib could spit some harsh words but this had hurt the most. That they were called cowards. They had heard, even down here in the lowest part of the jail cells, about Zim's great courage in the face of adversary, how he didn't flinch or scream or give in when he was being tortured. If Zim, the one they had always considered to be the weakest link, could do all that then what was up? Why were they, more specifically Red, so scared?
Red had been undefeated, the King of his castle, the top of his domain for centuries to come and had enjoyed the power that came with it. He never assumed he could ever be plucked off his perch. He had tasted defeat and it was bitter. To have him, the mightiest and tallest of his kind, brought down so low, stripped of everything right down to his regal attire and given the most basic of clothing (at least it was in their choice colors. To have nothing, and worst of all to be beaten and stepped on by Tak and Dib who were so much smaller than him, it was all embarrassing and demeaning. Purple had taken it a lot worse though he mostly joked it off like it didn't bother him.
It was less embarrassing for him and more sad. In those silent moments where they were left alone they had time to get to know each other better. Oh, they hated it at first, drove each other bonkers, but they only had each other in that small cell room. When Purple saw this opportunity to strike back at those who had struck him, he wanted to take it and he had hoped Red would do the same. Red had lost his tenacity, his thick skin had been literally and metaphorically torn into, he had become weak and he realized this now. The human girl had stood up to them, the little child Irken stood up to them, if those two could do that then they were truly screwed.
"Come on Pixi, let's go," Purple commanded gently to the pink eyed Sir unit. She looked up at her other master who was rubbing his arm and looking ruefully at the ground.
"Are you coming?"
Red looked at his companion, the person who had been by his side like a brother from day one till now, his best friend if he could ever have one. In the way only Red could, he did love Purple and Purple loved him back- in a non-romantic but still sort of romantic but too deep and complicated to describe platonic but also not kind of way. He did not want him to go but his stubbornness mixed with his deeply rooted fear made him turn away from him. Purple touched his companions' shoulder but he shrugged him off.
"Go," he vehemently, coldly said in a low voice.
As Zim was about to leave, really and truly done with his own stupidity much less the ones of the people he used to hold in such high regards, he heard a shriek of Gaz's name. It sounded like Krit first and foremost and under his high-pitched wail was Louie's voice crying the same. Zim zoomed faster than he even knew he was capable of, heart pounding hard with dread. Tthe way they had shrieked, it sounded so panicked and pained with a touch of bewilderment. He rushed to their sides, they were still in the darkened hallways of the cells and staring at the wall with terror and sorrow but Gaz was nowhere to be seen. Zim's heart could not stop plummeting lower and lower or stop ramming harder and harder against his chest.
"She's gone!" Krit yelped, shaking all over, breathing sharp and fast, and it looked like he was about to cry which Irkens can it just took something drastically sad for that. "She just...vanished...right there!"
"We're sorry Zim! We had her in our sights and then she sort of tripped and then...just...gone... Oh god...What kind of brother am I?"
Zim ignored his wailing and touched the wall. He could faintly smell Gaz's scent. His insides felt shattered. If he had been there, if he had not halted, if he had only joined by her side the moment she left, he could have protected her. He would have held her hand and never let go. He grit his teeth hard as he pounded his fist against the wall. He didn't even need to question who it was that took her. It was obvious because mixed with Gaz's scent was a scent from long ago. It smelled of death, a sickly sweet scent of decay, fire and male cologne.
That got his attention because it was the smell of Matthew. About a few minutes before Louis accidently opened the secret door is when the slime had arrived, sticking to the darkness as he did so. Crawling along the narrow passages and under tables appearing as only a fine mist or fog. His ship was recognized as Tak's ship and the guard didn't think even twice about letting it in, forgetting for a moment that Tak herself was already inside but some Irkens, if not most, were not the brightest of species, especially him. It worked in Matthews favor because he could take down the guard.
He didn't do it for any other reason than he liked to kill for the sport of it and he could drain energy from him too. This left him a withered husk of green skin. Mimi watched on horrified at that, especially knowing that he could have done that at any point to her mistress! Still she followed on, always a bit behind his heels. It didn't take him long to find Gaz, she was the second biggest source of dark energy besides himself. He could feel her pulsating close behind a brick wall getting closer so he waited in the darkness, as per usual, for her to cross his path like a black cat. Speaking of, Mimi was there too, in a totally different corner, watching him with sharp eyes.
What was his angle? What was his plan? What did he really have to gain other than revenge? Gaz came out, still frustrated, striding and behind her Krit, Louie, and Gir. Now was his chance, she was just a bit ahead of them enough so she couldn't reach out to them. He reached out, probably appearing to her as nothing more than a shadow, a trick of the light, and grasped her by her arm and dragged her off into the shadows along with him. She barely had time to call out for help.
Her thoughts before she was engulfed were only of Zim, how their last conversation had been in anger, how her last words weren't of kindness or of the love she felt for him, of how he was going to feel when he found out. Zim was devastated. If he was not so ridiculously determined to side with his foolish "Tallest" he would have easily stopped this. This wasn't even his first time making a mistake like this. There was no way to even find her, The Massive was, as par its name, huge, and he could go into places that no one could reach.
He barely understood Matthew's powers but he could feel it burning across the wall. It felt similar to Gaz's only much more sinister and primal. Where could he even start? What could he even do? His plan, their plan, had been going so smooth so far and now it was all thrown off. Even if they should all split up, they would still not find her. Zim's self pity wallowing was interrupted by Gir who's ball at the end of his robotic antenna was blooping and glowing.
"Sir! I can track my mistress through MiniMoose. He's still with her, Sir," Gir explained, seemingly stuck in this mode. "I apologize for not apprehending the criminal and protecting her, sir!"
"No Gir...I'm the one that's supposed to protect her even before you... I'm such a failure..."
Louie pushed up the glasses that felt they didn't fit him properly. "You are only a failure if you give up. You'll find her."
Pixi and Purple came hustling down the hall now too, stopping before the group. Pixi noticed the absence of the woman she had served and the hurt on everyone's face. Everyone but Gir, his eyes were red and focused, his antenna set to track her most likely. She had gotten so used to running to him and comforting him it felt so strange he was acting like this. It was like he didn't care at all. His head turned to her and his eyes narrowed as if he heard that thought and didn't enjoy it. Pixi could hear Gir's voice in her head, it didn't sound like the authoritative voice he was using now but it wasn't the baby like voice he had before. It was somewhere between.
I do care, Pixi. A lot.
She was taken slightly aback by the stern way his mind had said it. She apologized to him for thinking so badly of him but he didn't respond he only nodded and looked back at the wall. Zim was relieved to see at least one of the Tallest had come to their senses and he was also relieved to know Gaz was trackable. He thanked his lucky stars for MiniMoose who was always there from the get-go. Zim quickly gave Purple a recap on what happened but he tilted his head.
"Oookay...so the human girl called Gus,"
"Gaz," Zim corrected, punctuating it with more severity than he ever used on this person.
"Yes, whatever. So she's missing, so what? Why do you care so much? The human has willpower, I'll give her that, but she can be replaced."
Zim's pupils, if he had pupils, got smaller. He snapped entirely, grabbing Purple's collar and forcing him down to his level. He growled in madness and he was glaring at Purple in a way he had never seen on Zim's face.
"Gaz could never, ever, EVER be replaced!"
"Oh...she's your-" Purple assumed, making an odd loopy gesture with his hand that Zim understood and to Krit it just looked like he was making a sideways number eight. Zim nodded firmly. "Well why didn't you just say so? You can unhand me now."
"You...don't care...?"
"No!" Purple retorted with a bit of a chuckle. "You aren't technically in our legal jurisdiction anymore, Zim, and even if you were, I don't have much authority. Plus, she's got an amazing hair color."
"Sir I hate to interrupt anything but Gaz's-uh the mistresses signal is growing weaker!"
Zim didn't need to hear anything else, he just made the robot show him the way and followed him after. He wasn't expecting Purple or Louie to even come, one wasn't disguised and very noticeable, and the other had done everything he needed to do. Zim didn't need any explanation as to why they chose to stay, Purple had something to prove, and Louie wanted to be there for his sister till the very end at least ensuring her safety. Worst case scenario he still looked like Dib, he could possibly get away with things without too many questions asked.
Unfortunately, that gift would not last long as Dib and Tak were already at The Massive. The bay doors had to be forced open by the sir unit Axel who was designed to be able to handle that kind of weight (he had to be durable after all). As Tak made it outside the ship she gasped seeing the dried up shriveled green skin on the ground. Dib's pills stopped him from reacting too harshly to it, if anything Tak reacted more. She let out the most pained noise he had ever heard her let out.
It was the sound of an Irken lament, even the coldest amongst them would have that reaction. She buried her face in Dib's shirt and he held onto her. The image kept burning into her eyelids so even if she closed her eyes she could see it. It was horrifying even to someone who has graced many battle fields. She was still part of them, these were still her kin no matter what, and she mourned for even the smallest loss.
Perhaps the only one she didn't mind dying was Zim and this is why she kept the Tallest alive. She could not end their lives even if she wanted to. Should they fight her, she would have no choice, but she did not enjoy slaughtering her own people. It had to be done though, for the greater good as her Dib would say. Tak composed herself, averted her eyes, and made her way into the hull of the ship. A lot of the Irkens kept looking at them weird and whispering until finally they started to ask questions in the vain of;
"How are you here when you came in a while ago?"
Dib and Tak could surmise that Zim and whoever else he had with him had disguised themselves well enough to fool everyone. Even he had to admit it was a clever plan, perhaps too clever for Zim to concoct without some help. Perhaps that's what the help they were looking for on earth. Upon further questioning though they had learned that whoever was disguised as Dib had taken Gaz away in handcuffs and whoever was disguised as Tak took Zim away. Last they checked it was only Gaz and Zim, maybe the Sir unit who was a bit too small for that. Something didn't add up. The only conclusion they had was that they had gotten someone to come along with their little ploy. Though Tak knew this didn't help the situation as the capsules used to disguise had harmful rays and for a convincing enough Tak or Zim disguise you would NEED certain things that no makeup could provide.
Whatever the case it really didn't matter. They put everyone on alert for the imposters, telling them to ask a question if they were confused as to which was which, a question they had made up so only they could answer. Zim heard the red alert go off and cursed under his breath more than once. Dib was there already, they had taken too long with the Tallest arguing and now they had divulged from the plan because of Gaz, well more specifically Matthew. There was nothing else for it, Zim would not be diswaided in his quest.
Everyone was off on their own paths Zim looking for Gaz, Dib looking for Zim, and Gaz being taken hostage by Matthew. In the void she was in Gaz couldn't speak or if she could she couldn't hear it. It was silent as the grave. Where he was taking her, she did not know, he could even take her off the ship entirely. She could only hope for Zim to come after her because though she was incredibly capable of fighting even in the dark her movements felt like she was underwater. Mimi was also following along in the dark though no one could see or feel her presence.
She was not here to save Gaz but to keep an eye on Matthew. She could tell that this was his only goal- to get Gaz. As for what he wanted to do she guessed it was most likely end her life. So, if she knew that why keep going? Well though she was not here to save Gaz her mistress and mistresses mate needed the girl alive so she would have to save her anyways, though she didn't care to. Why Matthew didn't just end her life here, in his own element, where Gaz was having a hard time fighting back, she did not know. If it were her in his position he'd be ended already. Unless he was taking her somewhere to show her something but what? She had no idea and didn't let her mind be bothered with it. 'Zim will come', she firmly told herself, 'Zim will come and he will kick this guy's ass'.
The blooping sounds were getting louder and louder as Gir was getting closer, following along with Gaz's movements. Zim was focused on it, hope rising as he ran along. Then someone rounded the corner and stood right in front of them. Both parties halted, dead in their tracks. On one side there was Zim and his troop frozen still in their places and on the other side a very pissed off but also very triumphant Dib and Tak. The first thing Dib noticed was that person who looked just like him except he looked somewhat older. It was scarily identical; every little thing seemed the same. If it was a disguise it was perfect but who was beneath the mask? He noticed Zim was there and another Irken Dib barely recognized but he looked very young, probably just another naïve person Zim roped into his b.s.
Then he saw the previous Tallest but just the one. That had been the first thing Tak had noticed because it sent spikes up her back at the knowledge that he could not have gotten out without their hand prints. There was a slight chance of overriding the system but Zim was not capable of that, Krit was not of age to even know about it, and whoever this Dib look alike was well he was just a look alike. A very good one, but it wouldn't matter how much he LOOKED like him he was not him and the scanner would not take it and she doubted a human knew of Irken tech. He could be an Irken spy disguised as Dib and used his skills to hack into the system. That was a real enough possibility.
Whatever it was he had to be investigated thoroughly. Louie's heart was drumming, hard and fast. He had never been so close to Dib before. It really was startling how mirror like it was and he knew it was especially so now. There was so much he had planned to say if he ever saw him, so much to let loose and reveal, so many years of pain and anger to unleash but now that he was right there Louie was frozen. Even if he did know now what would it change? He would still hate Zim, he would still want to take him down, and he would still put them all in jail or worse. Dib narrowed his eyes and so did Zim, both staring at the other with nothing but pure hatred in their eyes. It was a Mexican standoff.
"Zim," Dib hissed, hand twitching near his guns. Tak was ready to draw her weapon at the first move any of them made, which included Krit for which she felt sorry for. She did not go into this planning on losing one so young, so fresh, so new. Perhaps she didn't need to? She would attempt not to if it was possible.
"Dib," Zim growled out, Pak lights glowing hot and ready to take him on. He really didn't have time for any of this and all of it seemed painfully minor. All he could hear right now was the bloops fading away. Gaz was going to fade away if he didn't move fast.
"Zim!"
"...Dib..."
"Zim!"
"Okay we're not doing this shit," Zim exclaimed. "There's no time for you or your veezel!"
"I am his mate, you bloody maddening third rate bastard of an invader!"
"Zim will let you know when he gives a damn. Just in case you're wondering that time will never come. Now move aside!"
"Move aside?! Are you serious right now!? You came all this way, did all this espionage and undercover crap and now that I'm in front of you ready and willing to tear your exoskeleton apart you want to tell me, you have the NERVE to tell ME to move aside?!"
"If you care for your sister half as much as I do-"
"Spare me your lies! You don't friggin' care a single solitary bit about her in any shape or form. You never have and you never will! You are heartless and manipulative and I'm going to take Gaz away from you before you can hurt her anymore!"
Zim threw back his head and uttered his loudest laugh, so hard it hurt him. Even Krit kind of found it funny how ridiculously wrong he was. How could he even think that? Where was his evidence anyways? Didn't he know that Zim would certainly hurt a fly, many flies, but never lay a hand on Gaz? Purple, though, he felt like his life had ended before it started. The best he could hope for was back in the brig and this time in a high security unbreakable isolated prison. At least Red might be spared somewhat, at least he could believe that he would be. His yellow back had saved him but yellow looked awful on him. He would forever wear that stripe with shame. Zim held his stomach, doubling over a bit and then after his laugh was done, he wiped a pretend tear from under his eye or maybe it was real Dib couldn't tell.
"What's so funny Zim? Besides your face."
"Oh Dib, poor foolishly naïve Dib. Even if Zim had no heart and manipulated others it was never her. She came into my arms and into my bed on her own free will," He ended his statement with a leer so vile and conniving and smug that it caused Dib to fly into a blind rage, only seeing red.
He spoke nothing, just let out heated growls and war cries as he thoughtlessly attacked Zim. His movements wild and reckless, fueled by his loathing, his betrayal, and the way he so slimily confessed what he had done to Gaz. Yes, done to her, Dib still believed even after Zim had told him it was consensually, that Gaz was in some type of abusive relationship without even knowing it. He chose to believe that Zim was a liar and his condescending smirk seemed to prove that. No man smirks like that if he's talking about his so-called lover. This is what Dib believed. Zim knew this and it amused him to no end but as much as it might amuse him, he needed to get to her and now. He used Dib's head as leverage and back flipped off of him then used his Pak legs to crawl along the ceiling quickly.
It would have worked if only Tak had not saw it coming a mile away. She was always a patient killer, waiting for the right moment to strike, which seemed unlike Dib's just go at it no holds bar strategy he was currently employing. He was usually a lot cleaner than this but she could tell he was suffering from madness, if only temporary. The pills weren't always 100 percent perfect and if the feeling got too strong, strong enough that the taker pushed against the side effects, they could emote again.
She didn't blame him but she did pity her mate. She pitied him because she knew that he was not going to ever see the truth and she did not want to be the one to tell him even if he did believe her now. Regardless something reached out of her Pak so quickly that no one even saw it but especially the person it affected. All the sudden Zim's own Pak stopped working and he came crashing down hard. Her timing had been precise, he landed right in her arms and with even more perfect timing and speed she shackled his hands.
Dib turned around, the look in his eyes fading away now, a calm coming over him as he saw the villain was captured at last. All that was left was the copycat, the boy, and the last Tallest but when he turned around one of them was gone from the equation. Krit knew he wasn't supposed to just rely on his speed alone but he had to, he had to run, run away as fast as his little legs could take him and never look back. Push on, go faster, turn into a blur of green. Even faster until it hurt until it burned until he felt like he would faint. Zim had taught him once it feels like your legs are broken that's only the beginning of your potential. He taught him to always strive to be his very best, to believe in himself. He would not let his teacher down or the woman he had come to be fond of. He was speeding toward the secret meeting room but Dib and Tak didn't know that.
"Let him go, he's a child. It's not like he's a great match for us," Tak surmised throwing Zim into the nearest holding facility. The Irken got up from the floor and swore at her violently, using words so vulgar even her face turned bright green. "We'll wash your filthy mouth out later, you waste. Now onto you, my Tallest," She spoke this with a mocking tone.
"Where's your boyfriend?" Dib teased, tilting his head to him. He felt so at ease now. What was up with him earlier? It had gone from 0 to 100 fast and then back to 0 just like that. Like a shot of adrenaline and then the effect was gone, replaced by an eerie peace.
"My what? Do you mean Red? He was too afraid of you to leave the cell," Purple answered honestly, casting his eyes to the side in shame for his comrade.
"He was smart then," Dib remarked. "Tak, would you be a dear and lock him back up?"
"Of course, my luv~" Tak cooed, kissing Dib's lips as she passed him by. Zim was gagging at the sight but even if he closed his eyes, he could still hear it. Purple was being led away as was his Sir unit, Gir going along too, eyes at the ground, seemingly obedient to Tak as she told him to march. She didn't know who this older model sir unit was but she would have her parts rewired to serve her. One couldn't have too many robotic servants. Dib turned to Zim, a winning smile on his face.
"Victory for Dib."
Zim snarled at him but not because he had used HIS catchphrase but because of how idiotic he was.
"You have no fucking idea what you've just done! Your sister has been kidnapped by Matthew! I was trying to save her you...you...you...!"
Zim could for once think of nothing to call him. There was no word in any language he had ever known that was a good enough slur for what he viewed him as right now for letting the actual sick freak absconder with Gaz. Dib's face showed very little reaction other than a raised brow. He leaned a little on the cell door with his elbow and arm.
"You weren't saving her because you love her if that's the case. She's a pawn, no better than an object. Not a person at all."
He shook all over. He was beyond sick and tired of everyone assuming he only saw Gaz as an object to be toyed with. She was so much more to him, she was his world. It had been funny at first when Dib had accused him but that joke died quickly. Zim opened his mouth preparing to lay it down for him, piece by piece, in shouting format, while also chastising him about wasting time while Gaz could be getting hurt-but then came a sound that traumatized him. His body turned to ice and his heart stopped. It was the agonized bloody murder cries of torturous agony of the woman he loved. He could hear her broken sobbing, she was crying his name in hopes he would hear and come save her. He had heard but he could not save her and that tore into him even more than her screams.