Warning: Character Death
Achievement Unlocked: Zim's Boss Battle (Continues into next chapter)
EDIT: I deleted the original ch21: Fake It 'Till You Make It do to not meshing with the story.
Zim's Base
As Mary strolled through the base with her supplies for when she's locked in, she passes by the Gaz's that came through the gate. Some offer to help carry her things. They know she's being locked away so there is no confusion for her or her safety.
She needs to be out of the way in one spot.
Thanking them, she got comfy on the ramp leading up to it.
There were a few lingering glances from them.
Some sad, others happy, all protective.
Their Dibs may have died a long time ago…
But this Dib, Mary?
She's the key to bringing most of them back. She's the reason they're all here today.
Mary gave them hope again.
.
.
.
.
That is, until all the lights shut off and the Emergency generator lights turned on.
The doors remained open.
~/~
Zim and Purple stood in the med-bay.
Dib Membrane's clone was asleep on the table that was propped up and had him sitting upright, wearing a spare hospital gown from a past Dib.
Purple put his clawed hand on Zim's shoulder for support.
He put his other hand over Zims when he saw it shake madly as it gripped the data pad.
Dib groaned as he started to wake.
Slowly sitting up, he blinked his eyes open at them.
"Zim…? Purple!?"
"Dib!" Zim's voice cracked.
"Zim…" Dib softly spoke confused. "What's going on? Why is Purple here? Where's Red? I thought-!"
"Dib." Purple interrupted. "What's the last thing you remember?"
"I…" He looked to Zim. "I remember our deal. After Skool, we fought. I remember the Massive coming to Earth, for real this time. That you and Red were coming for Zim because of the Florpus."
And then the power went out.
"WHAT?!" Zim roared.
"Don't tell me it's the raid?! They're early!" Purple blindly started to navigate the room. The Emergency generator lights soon kicked on.
"Zim." Purple spoke up. "Go. I'll catch him up to speed. Afterwards, I'll have him hide with Mary. We can't let them get to either of them. Everything we have planned depends on it."
Zim looked between Purple and Dib. Shutting his eyes and digging holes in his palms from the tight fists.
"What's that supposed to mean!? Weren't you trying to kill us?!" Dib snapped back.
Then he looked over at his former rival. Is he... having a panic attack? Dib leapt off the table and got between the two Irks, glaring at Purple, before focusing on his Irken.
"Zim?" Dibs voice snapped him out of it.
Snapping his eyes open, Dib was right there!
Standing in front of him! Dib looked concerned. Worried...
Soo many memories of their later years between the two flashed before his eyes.
Zim stumbled back, dropped the datapad and almost slumped against the wall behind him.
He would have if Dib hadn't caught him and pulled him into his arms.
Dib's arms were under his to hold him up and Zim had to wrap his arms around Dib's neck due to Zim being taller by a head.
Zim stilled.
He whimpered.
Dib wrapped his arms more securely around Zim with a soft smile.
"Zim." Purple hesitated, not wanting to interrupt this moment. " You stay.. I'll go up and keep them away. Okay?"
Zim stared wide eyes from his spot snuggled into Dibs neck. Gripping the gown, he nodded, and hid his face again. A hand sliding into Dib's hair.
"Dib." Said Human looked at him.
"What you remember happened 3,000 years ago -let me finish!" He snapped when Dib opened his mouth. "Zim came to the Massive to challenge me and Red. He fought us and we lost. Zim has taken over and been in charge since. That was 3,000 years ago now. Now, right now, everyone in this base is trying to go BACK to that point in time to fix things!" Purple yelled into the darkened room. Hands shaking, he stood to look Dib in the eyes. "You are a clone of the Dib Membrane who DIED that day. No one knows how and Zim won't say. All we know is that event is what started a chain of events leading to today."
Dibs grip loosened as Zim's tightened. Zim stayed silent.
"I'm a clone?"
"Yes! Our original plan was to switch you with the real Dib so he could live. Take the real Dib with us further in the past somewhere around the time Zim originally came to Earth. Possibly earlier!" He threw his arms up at this point. "But right now, there's a resistance group and my old co-ruler Red is among them. I really don't know WHAT he wants anymore just that he refuses to let this grudge against Zim go. That power going out? That signalled the start of the Raid. They should be mostly Humans with the odd other alien or two. I don't really know anymore."
"So let me get this straight." Dib started after absorbing all of that. "I'm a clone created to save the life of the real me. You two are trying time travel to the past to fix things that led to today? Also… why is saving the real me important? I'm no one special. I have memories of being Earths sole defender, but I didn't do a good job if you had to clone my long dead self." He mumbled near the end.
Purple twitched.
"Why is saving you so important? What even-?!"
Purple growled. Zim peeked up from his hiding spot.
Purple stalked over to them and angrily grabs Dib's gown..
"DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW IMPORTANT YOU ARE?! HUH ?! HOW IMPORTANT YOU ARE TO ZIM ? TO MARY? TO BOTH OF OUR FORSAKEN PLANETS ?!
Zim stared baffled, having never seen Purple lose his composure before.
"Listen Dib and listen well. Clone or not, EVERYTHING you have done and went through with Zim is the reason both your race and ours is even alive right now! You're the reason Earth isn't destroyed! It's through knowing you, Zim found a way to save the entire Irken species from extinction! You're the reason any of us is even still here right now!" Shoving them away.
After a tense moment or two, he straightened up.
"I also owe you an apology. Yes, when we came out of the Florpus we came after Zim. It wasn't until long after that realized what that led to with the both of you. We were angry about a lot of things that day. But most importantly, I was angry at myself. I was an utter moron back then and did not take my role as ruler seriously. Zim literally had to force Earth in our path just to get ust to take him seriously. During and after, we could have easily changed course but I insisted on going in a straight line. So…" He took a deep breath and looked at them both.
"I'm sorry."
They just stared at him.
Zim hid in Dib's neck again before looking up again.
He smiled.
"I forgive you."
Purple smiled softly, Taking a deep breath, he straightened again. "Dib, please , make your way to Mary. She is a Human child hiding in a room in this base. She chose to hide so we can focus on other things going on."
"Like the raid you mentioned?"
"Yes! Just, please… If nothing else, stay safe, for Zim's sake. I don't think he can handle watching you die again." With that he walked out and talked to other voices down the hall.
He looked down to see Zim trying to get as much physical contact out of this hug as he can. He's never seen him so broken before.
He settled for prioritising Zim's mental state.
"Hey… Zim? You with me?"
Zim just mumbled into his shoulder.
"I'm not going anywhere ok? I'm here to save the real me okay? So save all this for him ok?"
More grumbling and eventually reluctant nodding.
Zim pulled back to get a good look at him.
Purple's scream startled them both.
Sharing determined looks, they nodded.
"You go see what's up. It looks like I have to find this kid-"
"Mary." Zim interrupted with a smile. "She is the 403rd Human Ranked: Dib. Mary. She and her Invader Stell… they remind me of us sometimes."
With that, he ran out to find Purple.
"Eh..?"
Human ranked…'Dib'?
Shaking his head, he went to find her.
Before running into a hall full of Irks strangely reminding him of Gaz for some reason.
They all pointed to a large door down the hall.
Nodding in thanks he took off.
~/~
As the Gaz's tried to be sneaky about trying to catch a glimpse of Zim reuniting with Dib (clone or not, it definitely remembers everything. It counts?)
Purple relayed the new plan when he walked out.
Blue called in and told him of Tary's idea. He shuddered at the sadistic grins adorning these powerful Irks.
So he gave them a choice. Stay for the Raid, or join the fight at the Resisty.
When they first arrived, Mary and Zim already had them test out the device. All of them could go through.
That left Purple and Zim stumped. Why couldn't Blue and Stell? Why COULD Mary? And why can none of the Gir's go? They're technically objects so they should have been a given!
Either way.
When both battles are done, they're to meet back here and they would leave together.
During this discussion, only 10 Gaz's revealed to have personal grudges with the Resisty. They all agreed to go.
Another 10 had no interaction with the Resisty and chose to stay. That left 30 to decide to stay or go.
5 Gaz's chose to stay and guard Mary and Dib Membrane. One of the 5, Mood, was curious about why the machine was acting up and offered to give a second opinion.
25 left.
15 claimed to have become close friends with the 10 the Resisty hurt, so wanted to go with to make sure they don't lose themselves.
Doon checked in earlier and doesn't mind meeting up with them at the Resisty. Skali started to mumble about needing to vent. The Resisty might not be a cult, but she still has many things to vent about what happened with her and Sara. Mala walked up to Skali and offered to keep an eye on her.
So far: 27 Resisty, 15 Raid. 8 left.
The 8 were talking among themselves. On one hand, the vision said the raid was small. On the other, events have already changed, just by Purple leaving early.
Most agreed to stay for the raid as a backup. A few agreed to join for the Resisty.
It was split evenly 25/25 Resisty-Raid.
Intruder Identified: Former Tallest- Red.
Purple stared incredulously at a nearby monitor the Computer connected to the security footage.
One of the Gaz's let out a long whistle.
The others leaned away from Purple who stood there slack-jawed.
This is awkward…
But curiosity won out. The computer showed the footage on any monitors in range for viewing showing different camera angles from the surveillance set up around his house over the years.
Purple was stunned as he watched his long time partner stalk up the walkway to the house followed by a dozen others.
WHY IS HE HERE?! HE'S SUPPOSED TO BE AT THE RESISTY?! WHAT ABOUT THE CLONE HE MADE?! WHAT'S GOING ON?!
~/~
Gir sat on the couch watching Mysterious Mysteries . The episode was the one where Dib tried to expose Zim as an alien.
Already predicting the black out, Gir had the monitor on a separate generator. It keeps running uninterrupted.
The lightning flashed through the windows and the rain started a few minutes ago.
Soon, he heard voices outside the front door.
But then something happened…
The walls lit up briefly before flickering like a hologram.
He leapt off the couch as the whole house portion of the base flickered away, pipes retracting and shrinking away, before sinking back underground.
Gir turned back as the door was last to fall away….
Revealing Red just behind it.
"It's been a long time, hasn't it? You are Zim's malfunctioning S.I.R. Unit, yes? If I recall, you named yourself 'Gir'?"
Gir took a few steps back.
This wasn't Mastah's plan at all!
Various figures shot out from behind Red to surround Gir and aim their weapons at him.
"What does the 'G' stand for again?"
Red smirked.
Gir glared. Teal turning Red.
"It took a while, but then I remembered how we made you."
Red stepped forward until he was a few steps away. Red held something in his hand.
"The 'G'?"
His thumb lifted over a button on it.
Red leaned closer to whisper.
"It stands for Garbage ."
Hitting the button…
Shut the power from Gir and he fell limp to the ground.
It was silent for a moment as Red stood to full height and then kicked Gir to the other side of the now empty lot.
"Holy shit…" Galloway stared in awe. No one has ever dared to harm the little robot due to how much Zim cared for it. But this guy…
Red just stood there, typing more sequences on that pad of his.
An elevator lifted from the dirt and opened up.
"Shall we?"
~/~
Purple slapped a hand over his mouth to silence his scream. He stared in horror at what he just witnessed.
The Gaz's weren't much better.
They slowly turned his gaze to the room down the hall.
Terrified on how Zim will handle this.
His other hand stopped shaking.
It turned into a fist.
"Computer. Any objections to following my orders?"
.
.
.
.
None.Came the calm furious reply
Purple grinned.
Two can play this game.
They all grinned.
Game on!
~/~
Above ground, Clary waited until they went under before she exited her ship, grabbed Gir and brought him to her ship.
Quickly connecting into his power cells, it was proven useless. Whatever Red did…
It was permanent.
Gir's not coming back.
Gently, carefully, she set him down in the co-pilot's chair next to her.
In the dark of the ship, she watched him sadly.
Thunder rumbled in the distance, rain gently pelting the ship.
Hearing the sound of a machine whirring to life, she startled as his opticks flickered on and off. But he still didn't move.
It dimmed to almost nothing, but then a sound. Like an old recording fading in and out.
"Okay… and there! Hello, Gir. Can you hear me?"
"Gir? Can you hear Zim..?"
Two voices from the audio. Clary's eyes widened.
"SIR. Reporting for duty." Gir's voice rang out. But it sounded wrong.
"SIR…?" Zim whimpers. "No, your name is Gir!"
"What's the 'G' stand for?" Gir asks confused.
"I don't know." Zim wimpers.
"Are these your memories Gir?" She asked softly. The audio switched to a projection on the glass.
There were short clips. All featuring Zim, Gir, and an unknown pair of Humans.
There was even a silly one of Zim trying to make a cake! The fight between Zim and a cake monster was pretty hilarious!
Who was that guy? He and Zim seemed pretty close.
They reminded her of herself and Stell actually- wait.
No...
"And there!" The unknown(?) Human smiled at Gir before looking back at the sleeping Irken on his bed, he slipped off his coat to drape it over Zim(?!) like a blanket. He chuckled as Zim snuggled into it.
He startled at Gir's sudden appearance next to him.
"Are you my friend?"
He smiled. "Yes, Gir. I'm friends with both of you." Gir attempted to smile, but it was a small smile compared to his old smiles.
"What happened?" Gir asked.
"You… you got into an accident because you didn't listen to him."
"I didn't listen?"
"No, Gir. Zim cares about you. More than he'll ever admit. You are his best friend."
"I made him sad… Because… I didn't listen?" The two looked at Zim.
"Yes, Gir."
"Can you help me?"
"With what?"
"Can you fix me so I can listen to him? I don't him sad no more."
He knelt before the sad robot. "I don't want him sad either, Gir." He pulled Gir into a hug. "Ok, Gir. I'll tweak your programming just a little. If Zim gives you an order or tells you not to do something, you'll listen. Ok?"
"Yay!"
"Shhh!"
"Yay!" He whispered.
He just smiled and hooked Gir back up to his computer. With one last look at Zim, the two smiled before getting started.
The Video ended.
The light faded once more from him.
Clary cried like the rain on the glass.
She started punching the steering wheel.
She's pretty sure, being sad will be the farthest thing Zim will feel after finding out about this.
She definitely needs to get to Zim!
Okay, deep breaths..
After a minute, she calmed. She looked to Gir, more specifically his head where he likes to store stuff.
Being oh so gentle, she popped the lid to look inside.
There was a rubber Piggy? Damn this thing looked old.
And… a taco?
Snorting fondly, she pulled out the piggy.
There was a laminated photo attached to it
Clary's eyes widened. Flipping it around she read the description.
~/~
After the lights went out, Mary stood to attention. The Gaz's went in defensive stances.
"Something's not right." Mary spoke. Looking at her, she spoke with authority.
"In the vision, only the house lost power, not the whole base. Then there's Gir. He's never this quiet. This is no longer a secure position. We need to get our bearings. We need a plan."
A sound came from Mary's computer.
A video call came through.
Blue's face came on screen. Mary, we have a problem!
She turned the laptop so they all could see him.
"What happened?" She spoke seriously.
Tary had a brilliant idea to just trash the Resisty. (He was totally gushing, it sounded like they had fun!) The whole point was to keep their eyes on us, so there was no point in copying the vision. We're just a distraction. But that's not the problem. The PROBLEM is that neither Red nor his clone of you are here. They are MIA.
And!Stell cut in. I just found this handy radio that told me Red went to join the raid at your location. Somehow or another all eyes are on the base now, so we are retreating and heading back to base. We will be arriving shortly.
"And Tary?"
Tary comically leaned back into view with a salute. "Still here! I'm ready to kick Red's ass! I don't know what he's up to but my gut is screaming nothing good!" She crossed her arms with a huff.
Blue put the camera back on him as the girls started firing on someone off screen.
"Doon has a transporter nearby so we'll be arriving shortly. STAY in that room!"
He cut the call.
Mary rolled her eyes.
"As if I was going to. Ok, guys, you can stay or go, but I've been ordered by everyone to stay put. I'll find a spot to hide in here as extra cover. But don't let me keep you here. Who knows what Red has planned now."
Agreeing, they helped her hide and found a spot for the bag near her as well. Satisfied by her being well hidden, they took off.
Through some shuffling Skali, Mala and Mood stayed with her. Skali and Mala hid with her while Mood purposefully put himself in plain sight to lure anyone sneaking in. While here he took a look at the machine to see what happened to it.
Mary blinked at a thing in front of her and grinned.
Snatching it, she quickly checked if it still worked and smirked as it whirred to life silently. Turning it off she silently cackled as she peeked out. Alternating between the vents and the door.
~/~
After watching the footage, and manually shutting down the elevator…
They had to climb down. Red went last, knowing Zim had traps and unconcerned for their lives. He waited until he was sure it was safe.
Zim smirked darkly.
With lethal fury, Zim hunted the Humans who accompanied Red here. Climbing the elevator shaft, Zim used his PAK legs to silently smash the lights as he made his way up.
The one farthest down was suddenly yanked down and vanished into the dark.
Not even a scream.
His PAK upgrades made him ever so quiet. It was too easy to pick them off unnoticed~!
Someone pointed their flashlight down to see how much farther, but… At the first hint of Zim's PAK legs, followed by him smiling cruely…
All hell broke loose.
They screamed and tried to scramble back up the latter.
He reveled in their screaming!
The Gaz's happily helped block exits and yank them in random vents along the way.
Somehow, Galloway slipped away.
~/~
The transporter activated unnoticed.
~/~
Red hummed and opened up another entrance in.
Zim just missed him.
Screaming in rage, he went back down to base.
~/~
Dib made it to the Time room and was stunned to see essentially a storage room with only one device uncovered and being tended to by a singular Irk.
Before he could open his mouth, a clawed hand went over it.
Seeing a Taller female Irk in a suit, had him blink in confusion. She held a finger to her lips and pointed further in the room. The other Irk gestured back to that area as well before going back to work.
Looking to the area they were pointing to, a little girl in a purple dress waved him over. Looking back at the female, he gestured to him to stay quiet and to go to her. Assuming it's part of the plan he complied.
Making his way over to Mary she simply stared at him.
"You're Dib…" She whispered in awe.
Then, she noticed. He has no scars.
Huh…
Maybe it was the cloning process? Did Tary or Clary have her scars?
"And you must be Mary?"
She just nodded before Skali bopped her head to snap her out of it.
Flushing from embarrassment, he simply smiled.
Mary spent the rest of the time waiting, quietly catching him up to date with the three Irk's keeping watch.
~/~
A drenched Clary peeked down the long elevator shaft and dropped a small flashlight.
Coast is clear.
She had Gir strapped to her back, piggy and photo secure back in his head.
She started her descent.