I don't own Invader Zim okay? I don't have much else to say now, so enough of this A/N, on with the fic!
Zim jumped the stage, picked Dib up and shot the chains that held Christie and Gaz free. "What the hell is going on?" Dib yelled as Zim grabbed him.
"Trust me?" Zim asked.
"I guess!" Dib panicked.
"You two, get off there and follow me!" Zim said as he summoned the Tallest's cruiser. Not knowing what was going on at this point, Gaz and Christie followed Zim as the cruiser appeared, he threw Dib and and they jumped in.
"Where now?" Gaz asked.
"Back to my base. From there, I don't know, I am going to have to find some way to clear up that one." Zim sighed.
"You just up and killed Purple." Christie said simply.
"Well now there's only one Tallest. I'm the one making the calls and I can unfuck this planet up in a heartbeat." Zim said. "You'll get your goal of not being a wanted criminal anymore, Gaz can raise Zib like normal and get the life she was building back and Dib and I can..." Zim paused.
"We can what?" Dib said as he adjusted himself in the cruiser.
"Don't worry about it." Zim sighed as the roof of his house opened up and let them in. "Get out, I have to report to the control brains and make a pretty damn good story. If anyone asks you two, the chains broke and I dragged you in to deal with you myself." He said to Gaz and Christie.
"Whatever." Gaz said as she got out and headed to make sure Zib was okay.
"I won't tell the truth if you don't" Christie said as she headed to the spare bedroom she was sleeping in before this began.
Dib lay back in the cruiser and looked up at the ceiling as it closed and sighed. How could Gaz and Christie just act like nothing had happened? It was almost as if they had just come back from the grocery store how casually they headed out. They were seconds from death, given their last words and everything. He could understand that Gaz would want to make sure Zib was okay, but Christie was just okay with Zim? Those two hated each other and wanted to beat each other to a pulp before this. Dib got up and headed out of the cruiser knowing that at least the furniture was sanitary to figure out what was going on.
"From being imprisoned, to fleeing to Seamus's hideout, to this again. And Zim the Tallest?" Dib said as he grabbed a soda from the fridge and sat down looking at the TV. Gaz was sitting on the armchair on the other side feeding Zib, tapping her foot. She looked over at Dib with a curious look.
"I'm as confused as you Dib." Gaz said simply as she eyed the bottle of soda based formula she was feeding Zib. "But we have to take things as they come. It's not like you were made a public spectacle for your death."
"I would have been if they had caught me." Dib said.
"True." Gaz said. "I'm glad you didn't. If I had to die, I wanted you and Zim to take care of Zib for me. That would make sure he wasn't just another brick in the wall of the Irken military industrial complex." Dib looked up, surprised that Gaz was so motherly. "I may be aggressive but I'm not a monster. I didn't ask for Zib to be born, I hoped he'd end up another miscarriage and not compatible with a human incubator. But guess what, he's here. He is half me and some random mess of Irken DNA. No matter his genotype, he's my son. And he's not going to be just another soldier sent to the meat grinder in some far off galaxy." Gaz said with growing anger and intensity. "I know that if I were killed, you and Zim would be able to make it so that he could do something great with his life. He is my son after all."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence." Dib smiled. "Have to say you gave some good last words up there."
"Just hit me." Gaz said as she picked Zib up to burp. "Although I swear I heard them somewhere before."
"Anne Boleyn." Dib said.
"Huh?" Gaz asked.
"Those were rumored to be Anne Boleyn's last words." Dib said. "But you and Christie have a second chance now. What are you going to do with it?"
"What are you going to do with yours?" Gaz asked looking at Dib.
"Me?" Dib asked.
"God, you're a genius at a lot of things but other times you can be a complete dumbass." Gaz sighed as she pat Zib on the back and he spit up a brown milky substance than made Dib stick out his tongue. Ignoring his reaction, Gaz continued. "I have a had a lot of time to think lately. There's a change of Empire management and you're banging the CEO."
"That's crude." Dib said.
"Maybe." Gaz said as she rocked Zib "But unless something happens to Zim to replace him as Tallest by actual death, you're safe. Hell, if he's just deposed, you two can go into exile somewhere in the galaxy loyal to the old regime and live intergalatically happily ever after. That fear you had about him being forced to betray you is out the window."
"But what about the rest of the planet?" Dib said. "I mean you said yourself you want Zib to be able to do whatever he wants and not be a part of the military meat grinder."
"That I did." Gaz said. She got up and placed the now sleeping Zib in his crib and looked over at Dib. "You're right I did. But at the same time, this world is so shook up by what happened over the past 5 years, that to determine that future isn't as simple as it would seem. But there is one thing we can be sure of. Zim loves you. His position is one that can make that happen again. Besides, how was it between you two with a jail cell between you?"
"GAZ!" Dib yelled turning red with embarrassment. She smirked at his humiliation. "If you must know it was pretty passionate until you decided to launch your attack. Couldn't you have waited 15 minutes?"
"Nope." Gaz said with a smirk. "But go see if Zim wants something to celebrate his promotion, or stress relief. He probably needs you right now."
"You're right. I'll go to his labs, he probably is doing damage control as we speak." Dib said.
"Be careful. If he's talking with any officials, don't get in unless he tells you to." Gaz said.
"Right." Dib said as he headed down to the labs.
Zim sat in his labs, observing the news reports. It was not going to go well. However, Irken society would be more shocked at the release of two prisoners about to be executed than another Tallest killing the former one. Having two at the same time was a rather rare occurrence in the history of the Empire and regicide would almost be expected in a situation with two Tallests. But he would have to convince anyone who doubted him that Gaz and Christie were freed by accident and that he had taken them in to deal with them himself. Faking the bodies wouldn't be hard now that he was in his labs. Just clone them and present the copies to anyone who demanded it. He now had the ability to fake their deaths, and in a way get them both their freedoms. There was one burden solved but there was the matter of the political structure of Irk. Normally a Tallest's will was to be without question. Control Brains helped but very rarely overrode one. If the Control Brains did do any real overriding, I doubt they'd let the Armada come here in the first place. Zim thought as he looked at the screens. So far no one was calling for his head yet. "That's a start." Zim sighed.
"What's a start?" Dib asked as he headed up to Zim, sitting beside him.
"Well," He said pulling Dib close. "No one is calling to have me killed."
"But you killed Purple and set Gaz and Christie free." Dib said. "I would think that would give you the shortest reign of any Tallest ever!"
"Well maybe not the killing Purple thing, but setting Gaz and Christie free. But I have a plan. We need DNA samples and I can clone a Gaz and a Christie and then just kill them off. With that I can easily claim I handled it myself and that they broke free by accident." Zim explained. "They'll have DNA proof that it is indeed them and that's good enough for the military. But I'm worried about what will change now. I'm royalty."
"And I'm your consort." Dib laughed.
"Huh?" Zim asked confused.
"It's a spouse of royalty kind of thing. Term used with Earth's royalty when they are dating someone before they marry them and Seamus took to calling me that. You know you should give him a break too." Dib said. "He did keep me safe."
"And I guess got your disguised to watch the Promotion?" Zim smiled as he stroked Dib's spiky hair. It was so much easier now that he was taller and he felt like he could protect Dib better. Deep down he knew height meant nothing but it felt like he was a protective barrier who was to care for him. He lay back in the chair and led Dib to lay on top of him. He had missed that hair, the amber eyes and just the love for him that he had seen in his gaze. You swore to protect him. You are to fulfill my dying wish. Zim heard Professor Membrane's voice in his head as he looked into Dib's eyes. He shuddered, causing Dib to look at him with worry.
"Are you okay?" He asked.
"Nothing." Zim said. "Just getting used to this."
"I can imagine." Dib said as he crawled closer to Zim. "Growing 18 inches like that into such a position cannot be easy." He said as he stroked Zim's antenna.
"Quite painful actually." Zim said.
"Let me kiss and make it better." Dib said as he placed his lips on Zim and held him close. Yes this will be an adjustment but the lips are still the same. Dib thought as he put his tongue on Zim's and kissed him deeply. Zim picked up on this cue and wrapped his tongue around Dib's and pulled him close. Some things did not need to be said. There would be no way he would know about having to kill his father if no one told him. Dib sat up and sighed. "I love you Zim. Or should I say 'My Tallest'"
"Shut up." Zim said. "Not like I asked for this job."
"I know." Dib said. "You were saying just being a general was losing it's luster before this. I can't imagine what it would be like going deeper in."
"Horrible." Zim said.
"I just wish you had gotten Promoted sooner." Dib said as Zim looked at him scandalously.
"Why would you want that when you know I didn't want this?" Zim asked scandalized.
"Because I ran into Gaz before she went on her attack with Christie and we found Dad's body lying there dead. How it looked, an Irken laser gun had gotten him. Shit, did he figure it out? He's not mad. He's acting more like Gaz would about this, or at least how I think she would. Zim panicked in his thoughts. He knew there was no way that Dib could have found out he was the one who killed him from the marks but he was still scared. Dib wasn't exactly an idiot and could piece together mysteries well from the time he was young. "We sent him out the river to the sea and I promised to protect Gaz as the elder brother."
"Touching but I think she can protect herself. I mean remember when she thought she was going to be killed, she had spit in Purple's eye. Only a fighter would have that courage." Zim said.
"It's just this honor thing I have since we were little. She's my little sister who I'd do anything for." Dib said.
"Well we do have a nephew to look after too." Zim said wanting to change the subject to something a little more cheerful and new life always seemed to make humans happy. "Sure Gaz may be alive still but doesn't mean Uncle Dib and Uncle Zim can't be in the little smeet's life. And I am sure she would want some time to herself."
"True." Dib said as he held closely to Zim and dozed off. Zim looked down and saw how peaceful Dib looked as he fell asleep. He had known that he wouldn't have gotten much sleep in the past weeks because of fear and stress. This was all that Zim had wanted from this rebellion and now he had it. If things could just stay like this, I may be able to handle being Tallest after all. Zim thought as he held Dib close, feeling his heartbeat against his chest. As he was starting to drift off himself, a loud noise was heard over his computer.
"INCOMING TRANSMISSION FOR TALLEST ZIM!" Zim's computer said. "TALLEST? YOU GOT PROMOTED?"
Knowing that whatever was to happen next could not be good, he pushed Dib onto the floor and below the seat. "Stay there. Don't come out until I say so." Zim said so that only Dib, who was rubbing a sore on his head said. He motioned Zim a thumbs up and hid. Turning to the screens, he said. "Ready to receive. Broadcast transmission."
"Tallest Zim, we need to have a conference to go over what you are to do now that you are Tallest and what we expect of you." One of the Control brains said.
"Good." Zim said. "Because there's going to be some changes in this place."
So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? Let me know in a review. Now I know this one didn't have as much action as the previous chapters but they can't all be that way. I really don't have much A/N wise on this chapter so remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now,
otherrealmwriter
aka
Realm.