Doom Witch

Author's Note : Hey people, did you enjoy the last chapter? Review to let me know what kind of thing, or also e-mail me which a couple of people have done which is really cool I love people! Can I call you all my . . . fans? (gets all excited) YAY they like me! WOOOO! Friends at last!!!

Hee hee!

Right, okay dokey, reminder of last chapter : Zim is now trapped in the energy sucking thingamijigger Gaz was in, but she is now in the room with the Tallest waiting for Dib to come and take her away. She is still pretty weak and keeps slipping in and out of consciousness, so we'll set the scene with the Almighty Tallest speaking to Fia via the big screen, and Gaz lying in the background occasionally moaning, and Zim is down below in the cell underneath but we're not going into that OKEY DOKEY!

Now this is quite an important chapter so PAY ATTENTION!

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- Chapter Thirteen - Dib's Choice-

"Ah here's that himmun thingy come to collect his chum!" Purple said cheerily, turning his head from his sister Fia to the motley crew that had just entered the room. It was indeed a motley crew, a regal Irken, an Irken civilian called Shoe, a stupid tin robot and a 'himmun'.

Dib sprinted the length of the room to where he thought Gaz was, but realised that she was behind the Almighty Tallest and not in the corner to which he had just run. Feeling quite foolish, the Dib-child pretended to pick something up and pocketed the imaginary object, then set off at a walk towards Gaz, breaking into a sprint again and knelt down in front of her.

"Gaz? Gaz! Say something! Gaz, can you hear me?" he panicked, "Say something, Gaz! It's Dib!"

Wearily, Gaz opened her eyes to slits and shifted around slowly.

"D-doofus-" she whispered, then conked out again. Dib smiled to himself softly, then stood to meet the Almighty Tallest, who were examining his 'affection' with great disinterest.

"I've come to collect my sister," Dib said steadily, "And also Zim, coz we kinda need him to repair the ship and navigate back to Earth. But that's all! It's not like we want the little worm back or anything . . . "

"Ummm," Purple said, really making an effort of this acting thing, "No!"

"Aww, I mean hey!" Dib protested, "We need Zim to get back home, Gaz needs the treatment back on Earth, not the weirdo stuff here!"

"Come back another day, Ee-arth weasel and we'll sort something out, an escort that will -ahem- blow you up, maybe?" Red suggested, and saw his grandma scowl. "Look, it took a lot of effort to finally get hold of Zim and we're not gonna let him go now! He's already dying with the extra amount of that cool life source sucking stuff in there we put in. He'll be dead by late tomorrow if he's lucky! Now go away, it's time for our daily snack consumption."

Dib's jaw dropped, this happened a lot nowadays. Suddenly, Fia cleared her throat and spoke.

"Zen, bring Dib and the others back and we can discuss maybe giving them our ship," she suggested, winking at Zenin very obviously. The old Irken was having trouble catching up.

"What, Fia, we don't have - ooohhh! Yes, yes that's the best idea . . . we can discuss our actions back at the house. We'll be right there, Fia." Zenin caught on and winked at her companion equally as obviously. The Almighty Tallest didn't seem to notice as they were getting bored, and left Dib and Zenin to carry Gaz out, which was quite complicated as Zenin was quite tall and Dib was short, so it ended up just the Irken carrying the little girl (A/N: It's a good thing she's unconscious otherwise she'd eat me if she heard me calling her that . . . sorry . . . ) back out of the door they came.

The Almighty Tallest finally relaxed, moving out the other way towards the snacks laid on the large table for them.

"Burritos!" Purple called happily.

"We-we've finally got him, Purp. We've finally got INVADER ZIM!" Red glorified.

"Yeah, that's cool . . . hey, dude, will you PLEASE stop calling me Purp? It's really gay!"

"Only if you stop calling me dude."

"Fine! Jeez . . . "

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Fia wrung her claws in anxiety, worrying about the Irken disgrace that had not so long ago been her friend. Although Zim was older than any known human on Earth, he was only seventeen in Irken years, and seen as an ambitious teenager. A VERY ambitious teenager. Zim hadn't lived his life enough, he needed to experience new things and had to be able to make mistakes and be forgiven, even if he did nearly destroy the home planet of the Irken Empire. If his own people couldn't forgive him, what hope did Zim have to hold onto?

"WOOOOOOOHOOOO Wilma ah'm home!" GIR's mechanical voice interrupted Fia's worried thoughts, and the little robot that should be fighting to save his master as his slave pranced in the room, oblivious to his companion's danger. Shoe danced in closely behind him, along with Zenin and Dib, who was now carrying Gaz with great effort. Fia hurried into the bathroom and returned with a futuristic looking syringe.

Dib lay Gaz down on the couch and eyed the needle suspiciously, then made eye contact with Fia. He shook his head aggressively, grasping Gaz's hand.

"Ohh no, no way," he refused, but Zenin took hold of him under his arms and pulled him back a bit so Fia could get at Gaz. Dib had to let go of his sister's hand and he began to make a bit of a fuss. In fact, he was kicking and struggling and cursing at the old Irken, who looked a little shocked.

"A boy your age shouldn't be swearing like that," she tutted, "Now calm down, calm DOWN, Dib. Fia knows what she's doing, and that medicine will help your sister recover quicker, I promise."

Dib reluctantly stopped his protesting and lay limp in Zenin's arms, watching Fia carefully push the needle into Gaz's flesh. Had the girl been awake, and the young Irken would have been in a fierce headlock before she could say "Smithers, release the hounds!" Luckily for Fia, Gaz was unconscious and the syringe was in and out as quickly as possible. Fia went through into the bathroom to bin the sharps and wash her claws, and Zenin let go of Dib, who scrambled on all fours over to his sister.

"Gaz?" he muttered, shaking her arm, "Gaz, are you okay?" Deep down he knew he could trust Zenin and Fia, he was just worried about his sister, which made him suspicious. Suddenly Gaz stirred and looked around her.

"Dib . . . " she croaked, "Dib what the Hell happened? Where - where's Zim?"

Dib scowled.

"We can forget about him now, Gaz. The threat to the human race is no more. Isn't that cool?" he smiled at her, but her sleepy frown remained on her face. She went back to sleep and let the medicine go around her blood stream. Dib turned round to face Zenin, who looked pretty annoyed.

"Don't you think you owe Zim?" she snapped, "After all he did, he's being starved of his life source, don't you think that's a bit of a sleazy reward for sacrificing himself for one of the enemy race? Don't you think you owe it to him to free him, Dib, or can you live with the guilt that Zim's death wasn't very victorious? Won't look very good back home, will it? That you left Zim to rot after he saved your sister's life? Who looks like the bad guy there, Dib?"

Dib's heart rate quickened. She was right, and however much he hated Zim he had willingly gone to his death for Gaz. Whether it was that he thought it was just a test or not was irrelevant, because Zim was going to die and he had saved Gaz, ultimately, hadn't he? Dib kicked the ground angrily and saw Fia smile as she came back through from the bathroom.

"I'll come with you," the young Irken told him, and Dib knew better than to argue. He may as well use all the help he could get.

"I have a back-up plan that may come in handy," Zenin said, handing Dib a small round object with a button in the centre. He pocketed it and gave her a look, which asked her what it was. "It's a communication device, a panic button. If something goes wrong, press it and we'll activate the reinforcement plan."

"What's the-" Dib began, but Fia shook her head.

"We'll know if we have to use it," she said, "Let's just hope we don't, okay? Now you and I'll go into the command base where those two idiots that call themselves leaders will no doubt be eating snacks. They're always alone when they're eating lunch, so we'll go tomorrow midday, right? We'll just talk about a lot of stuff, blackmail them telling them we'll tell everyone about trying to kill off one of their own people. If that doesn't work, run for the table of snacks and tip it over, okay?"

Dib nodded, not quite sure what significance of destroying a tableful of snacks had against the rulers of the Irken Empire had, but then Fia knew her stuff, and he trusted her.

It wasn't like he had much of a choice anyway, did he?

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Zim winced as another stronger blast of that horrible sucking thing struck him, and he felt another wave of energy loss. He had been here since last night, at least he knew it was the next day. That was all he really knew, there hadn't been anything going on at all. Suddenly, the big screen in front of him flickered and fuzzed.

"Damn you I don't care if this isn't an authorised transmission I'm still transmitting it!" an angry female voice snapped, and there was a mumble from the other side of the black fizzing screen, then Fia's pointed face appeared on the large television.

"Hey, Zim," she said gently, and Zim forced his head up. Maybe it was the gravity level in the bubble, but it took so much energy just to look up, "How ya doin? I'm going to have to be quick, 'kay?"

Zim nodded. Then; "You're going to have to be, don't think I can . . . talk much longer . . . awfully sleepy . . . got to get back to . . . infiltrating . . . Earth . . . "

Fia smiled, her eyes flashing, "Soon, Zim. I promise. Don't worry, I'm on my way. Just hold on, okay?"

"Don't pity me . . . " Zim told her, "I am the almighty . . . Invader Zim . . . unstoppable . . . death . . . machine . . . "

"Save your energy and let me do the talking!" Fia snapped, causing Zim to flinch. She lowered her voice. Dib, behind her in the background, spotted the affection in her voice and couldn't pretend he wasn't surprised, "This isn't an exam, Zim. You're in danger and you need to fight it, alright? Just . . . don't give in, okay? Just don't. That's very important. Stay alive until we get there."

"Not . . . an exam?" Zim whispered, unable to lift his voice any louder.

"No. The Almighty Tallest planned this. Zim, it's very important you understand. Stay alive. Don't give in. Don't let them . . . "

Fia's voice was cut off, and Zim imagined it was because the Almighty Tallest didn't want to give anything away. He couldn't fight it much longer, he was too weak. He wished whatever was coming to be quick.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Dib followed Fia's swift hovering with great difficulty, and he was getting seriously bored of running after this Irken girl. Still, it was better than world discrimination and no doubt there would be the tinciest bit of guilt if he let Zim die like that. He would destroy the Irken Invader another day, if they got there in time, anyway. Fia seemed confident they would, and it seemed that way as the Head Quarters loomed ahead.

Fia had authorised clearance as she was part of the royal family, and Dib and the next in line to be sacrificed entered the complex easily. It was the guards that had been warned indoors not to let anyone get into the control room until Zim was good and dead that were the problem. It was a good thing that Fia knew how to handle a gun, and Dib's quick thinking distracted the simple minded guards and they eventually ran off in another direction.

Dib and Fia forced the locked slidey door open together with the laser guns and old fashioned pulling the doors apart and shoot the lock technique. Fia burst through first, followed by a more reluctant Dib, who blocked the door with some "Stick-ee Ick-ee Super Dooper Glue" which would hold the guards for a while at least.

"Aaaargh!" cried the Purple Almighty Tallest, then "Oh, hey sis."

"Hi." Fia said coldly, then walked right up to her assigned brother, "Listen, 'bro', I want you to release Zim now, or else I won't rest until the entire Irken population knows you killed one of your own soldiers, however useless or disgraceful you think he is. You assigned him to Earth which is where he has been. If you wanted to kill him you would have been obliged to do it when he refused to stay in Foodcourtia. Not when he's carrying out a mission."

Red scowled at Fia, and Dib thought with an agonising second passing that he was going to hit her, but then not even his comrade would have stood for that. Purple folded his arms.

"The Irkens may be a little cheesed off at us for a while, Fia, but they'll eventually realise how better off we are without that little weasel." Purple shot back at his sister, and the young Irken female nodded to Dib, who, feeling like an idiot, ran to the snack table and grasped its curved wooden edge, tipping it slightly.

"NOOOOOOOOOOO!" Red screamed, and the leaders' claws flew to their heads with mouths open wide, "Not the snack table!"

Dib pushed with all his might and the multiple types of foods and juices toppled over onto the floor, ruined. Purple's mouth dropped worryingly low, perhaps his jaw had been dislocated.

"Why you little . . . " Red roared, hovering with maximum speed towards the human. Dib yelled and ran for his life, while Purple made for Fia, shoving her backwards.

"Dib!" Fia yelled, as Red was catching up with the twelve-year-old, "DIB! The panic button! Now would be a good time -"

Dib hauled the thing out of his trench coat pocket and it flew out of his grasp. Calling out in distress, Dib flung himself at it and landed right on top of it, his torso pushing in the button under his weight. Fia and Purple were screaming at each other like siblings do, and Red picked Dib up by the throat. Fia noticed this and zoomed across the room, grabbing Red's arm.

"DIB!" she cried out, and Red threw her to the ground, "AARGH!"

"Now you make YOUR choice, human," Red snarled, tightening his grip. Dib gagged and his mouth gasped for air, "You leave now, alive, and leave or you die fighting for Zim's worthless existence. Make your choice now before your humany organs explode!"

"I swore I'd rescue Zim . . . " Dib retorted, "And no matter how I . . . don't wanna, I will."

Dib's eyes glazed over as all traces of oxygen left him. So this was what it was like to die. Not so bad really, if you didn't count the agonizing pain as your lungs closed . . .

"NEVER FEEEET!" GIR's robotic yet oh-so-crazy voice screamed, breaking through the door (despite the Stick-ee Ick-ee Super Dooper Glue sealing it) with an army of Irken civilians behind him, short and tall, fat and thin, ugly and . . . not . . .

"I MEAN NEVER FEEEAARRRR!" GIR tried again, and the Irken-Moriarans rushed forwards, making a circle around the Almighty Tallest. Red dropped Dib in shock, who fell to the ground making coughing noises, gasping for air and rubbing his throat. He scrambled back into the crowd, bumping into Gaz.

"Gaz!" he yelled, "What are you - you're not strong enough!"

"Well, obviously I AM, dear brother, now silence or I swear I shall destroy you with this fist." Gaz snarled, waving her right clenched hand at him menacingly. Dib could have jumped for joy. His sister was back! He wouldn't have minded if she was a little less evilly insane, though.

"WOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOO!" GIR screamed, and the taco minions followed suit, causing a chorus of "woohoos". Shoe gave an impressively good "woohoo" which made his beloved Taco Lord proud, or the nearest emotion possessed to pride. Hee.

The Almighty Tallest stood surrounded by their own people, but no one noticed when Red activated a robot in his pocket and slid it along the ground towards the control panel. The robot followed its orders and turned the gauge up, causing the life-sucking gas in Zim's cell to become stronger, and the Irken's failing strength diminished. Fia noticed too late and rushed to the control panel, kicked the robot and cried out in frustration. Finding the turning control, she twisted it right until the smiley green face now turned to a sad, red face, meaning the gas pressure was now off.

"Fia, find the button that raises the platform!" Zenin called urgently, and Dib ran over to the younger Irken to help her, "Some of the gas will still be lingering we need to get Zim up!"

Fia nodded and her panicky claws flittered over the control panel, searching for it.

"It's not here!" she cried, and Dib nodded his head to confirm the fact that there was no button or pressure pad that raised the platform, saving Zim's life. Zenin walked through the circle of Irkens into the centre, where Purple and Red stood, outraged.

"Tell us how to get Zim up, or else I'll give the motion for GIR to set his taco-hungry minions on you, and I won't call them off." She warned, and Red gave her a big scowl to show her how much he didn't like that idea. His eyes flicked to GIR's aqua, grinning eye sensors, and the little robot whooped to show he was serious about setting his minions on them. Red clenched his claws and looked at his comrade, then dropped his arms and nodded.

Purple took a small gadget out of his pocket and took up the plastic cover, flicking the switch, and the platform rose. 'It seems to be whichever tile Zim was on that raised up, must be a weight sensitive pad,' thought Dib cleverly to himself. Zim was out for the count, if not more. Dib thought he looked pretty damn dead, and looked away. His eye caught glimpse of Gaz, who was looking at Zim in the funniest way.

"Jeez, don't tell me my little sister has fallen for my arch nemesis, and I just saved his life," Dib muttered under his breath, now not sure whether he wanted Zim to be alive or dead.

Fia floated forward and knelt down beside Zim, picking him up very gently. She found it quite easy, she was twice the height of him. Without another word, she left the room, and Zenin followed her after casting a warning look at her grandson. Dib wandered over to Gaz, but she didn't stay by his side and walked right up to Red, parting through the multitudes of Irkens. She held out her hand expectantly, and saw the Almighty Tallest leader reach into his pocket and pull out Gaz's GameSlave, dropped it into her hand and fold his arms in the huff. Dib chuckled under his breath softly, and waited for his sister to come back, and they walked out together.

GIR gave his master's leaders a big cheesy grin and said, "Buh-BYEEEE PIGGY! GOTTA GO BACK TO MA TACOSS!" and turned, leading the Taco Squad out of the door and to the left, then realised that he was going the wrong way and squeaked in hysteria and turned right, zooming along the corridor, with all his little friends zooming after him. Mmm-yup, there sure was a lotta zooming.

The Almighty Tallest looked at each other, shrugged, then made a move to order some more snacks.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

"He's not waking up."

"What do you expect? He had a whole load of that horrible gas taking his energy."

"So did I!"

"Yeah but you didn't have it full blast did you?"

"I DON'T KNOW, I WAS KINDA A BIT BUSY WORRYING ABOUT DYING, NOT ABOUT THE QUANTITY OF THE POISON I WAS BEING GIVEN!"

"YOU DON'T NEED TO YELL!"

"YOU'RE YELLING TOO!"

"WHAT?! NO I'M NOT YOU LITTLE . . . HYBRID!"

"HYBRID? OF WHAT?"

"A MONGOOSE AND A . . . SEAL!"

"WHAAAT?!?!?"

Gaz and Fia were having a bit of an argument, and Dib was looking on in a scared fashion, watching Fia's maroon eyes become ever more regretful of arguing with Gaz, but she was probably just as stubborn and wasn't backing down. Dib was glad when Zenin pulled them apart and gave them lollipops to suck on, but was sad that he didn't get a lollipop.

They were outside and had been given a ship, and Dib was a bit annoyed because the only reason he had saved stupid Zim was so he could fix the Voot and navigate but this ship had the smashed up Voot in its carrier and had auto-pilot right for Earth. It also had a medical bay that Zim could stay in, and the robots there would automatically give him shots when he required them. Zenin carried Zim on, and Fia followed her, abandoning her argument with Gaz. She left Dib, Gaz and GIR with the Taco Followers, then Zenin returned.

"Okay, GIR, time to say goodbye." The old Irken said to the little robot, who clung to Shoe lovingly.

"Noooooo I'm not ready! I'M NOT READY TO LOSE YOOOUUUUU!" he mourned, and Shoe sobbed along with the rest of the minions.

"Farewell, master!" Shoe groaned, hugging GIR tight. GIR turned and walked up the ramp to the ship. "I'll never forget you!!"

"You were my favourite puppy!" GIR sobbed, waving to Shoe, "GIR Tacos are now . . . Shoe Tacos!"

"Oh my God . . . " Gaz moaned.

"Oh thank you, mighty Taco Lord!" Shoe worshipped, "Master you are great!"

"BUH BYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" GIR screeched, and Zenin had to "shh" him, until he climbed aboard the ship. Zenin turned to Gaz.

"Make sure your brother doesn't kill Zim, he's still very sick." She told her, "I know you understand that, Gaz."

Gaz blinked and didn't say anything as she was a cold, callous person but Zenin felt she would protect Zim from her brother. Dib didn't look like the kind of guy that would destroy Zim when he was ill, anyway. She climbed the ramp and gave an awkward wave to Zenin. Dib followed her.

"I won't kill Zim till I get home, I promise, Zen," he told her, "Thanks for all your help."

"Perhaps you should thank Zim as well?" Zenin suggested, and laughed when Dib gave her the I-don't-think-so look, "Come on, Dib, it won't hurt to say thanks to the guy who saved your sister's life."

"Don't give him so much credit," Dib snapped, "He said himself that if he thought it was real then he wouldn't have done!"

"I saw the way he looked at her. He would have. He's just too proud to say so." Zenin said, and Dib opened his mouth to answer but couldn't think of anything to say, "Go on, now. The sooner you get back the better. The ship is able to dodge the Armada's fire, so don't worry about that."

Dib nodded. He didn't like relying on computers wholly but the Irken technology was far more advanced than Earth's so he trusted it more than he would normally, being enemy technology and all. He waved to Zenin and ran aboard the ship and into the sick bay, where Zim was lying on a floating bed strapped in, secured for lift-off. Fia was standing over him speaking to him softly. Dib suddenly felt very vulnerable, he had never thought Zim to have any friends, he had always just assumed he had been an Invader. He had never thought of his enemy as a child, playing with toys like a child does with little friends.

"Bye, Zim," Fia said softly to Zim, not noticing Dib's presence, "We'll meet again soon, in better circumstances. Keep in touch, okay?"

Zim didn't respond, but Fia smiled and left, regarding Dib as she passed him.

"Bye, Dib," Fia said, "I hope to see you one day, and not as enemies."

Dib nodded and shook hand and claw with her, and they parted. Dib took a long look at Zim before closing the door and moving through to the command deck where Gaz was sitting at the controls and GIR was sobbing away in the corner clutching a piggy.

Dib took his seat and pressed the ignition button, and the engines started, a couple of silly taco minions trying to stow away in the exhaust pipes were burnt to a crisp. The large ship rose into the air and flew away into the atmosphere.

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A/N: WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! That's the end of that bit! Section one of the story . . . FINISHED! I don't know how many there'll be, I just don't know, Jimmy.

Depends on how my reviewers go!!!!! Wooooooooo! Bye bye, Shoe. I don't know how they're all going to meet up again yet, I will figure that out one rainy day when there is bugger all to do!

YAAAAAAAAAY! BUGGER ALLLLL!

Anyway, next chapter : Will Zim still want to be an Invader now he knows the Almighty Tallest hate him? YES, HE WILL! Want to know why well you'll have to read on, huh? The AT also come up with another plan to stop Zim's . . . um . . . life! Will this one succeed? YAAAAY new character!!!!!! Not in the next chapter will it be introduced, just spoken of. Will Zim and Gaz finally get it together? Will GIR be able to get over the loss of his taco friends?

Okay, coz I'm bored, I'm gonna hold a survey. Who out of the three characters I have made up so far is your favourite:

A) Zenin B) Fia C) Shoe?

Tell me either in a review or e-mail (strange_deluded_one@hotmail.com) and why you like them and whether you would like to see them again. I'm just trying to make this interactive, y'know? PLAY ALONG DAMN YOU! If you can, also tell me what reason they'd come back for, and if it's good I'll see if I can worm it into the plot. You may have noticed I've given you THREE chapters at once, well that's because I said I'd make it up to you . . . DIDN'T I?

Well my wwriting ability's come back and I'm on a ROLL, baby!

WOOOOOOOOOO! I like rolls . . .

With bananas . . .

WOOOOOOOOOO! I like bananas . . .

Review!