The Aftermath
Author's Note: I have often wondered what would happen should Zim ever find out that his "Secret Mission" was indeed his second banishment. I have concluded these possible outcomes; 1.) Zim tries even harder to please the Tallest and gain the respect of a true Invader, 2.) He becomes depressed, no longer cares for his life, questions his purpose, and possibly assimilates fully to human life on Earth, 3.) attempts Hara-Kiri, or 4.) loses his mind and destroys everything ala Johnny the Homicidal Maniac.
This is Chapter Two of my long fic. According to fans, this is the best chapter, so I put it up first as a sort of preview. Depending on the reviews I'll put the rest up. If not I'll leave it as is as a short story.
Stepping through the congealing blood, GIR made its way to the fallen Irken. Its chin quivered in anguish as it stared down at the still form of its Master. It finally released a series of shrieking sobs, crying openly, falling to its knees and enveloping Zim's upper torso in a desperate hug. The blood covered the small robot as it buried its face into Zim's saturated uniform.
"Master! I love-ed yoooouuu! WHHYYYYYYYYY?" it shrieked at the top of its robotic voice. GIR continued its wailing sobs, not noticing Zim's right hand move slightly.
"Ugh…" a small groan escaped Zim's throat, he managed a disoriented whisper, "…gir?" GIR's shrieks paused suddenly as it looked down at him. It was silent for no more than a few seconds before GIR released an eardrum-shattering scream of shear fright. Releasing its embrace from its Master, GIR began to run madly about, waving its arms frantically, and screaming uncontrollably. It quickly ran to the elevator tube, the only coherent word to be screamed, "ZOMBIE!"
Zim hadn't been in class for the past few days. Something was definitely up. Dib stood across the street from Zim's house, eyes narrowed in suspicion. Could he be planning on dumping an Alien virus into the water supply, turning all life on Earth into willing slaves?Or maybe he was building a new super weapon of mass destruction! Dib chewed on his nails nervously, contemplating what the four-foot Irken had in store for the Human race. Or perhaps, if Dib should be so lucky, Zim had caught an Earth illness and was wallowing in pain and slow death! Dib found himself grinning like a Cheshire cat at this idea, giggling to himself.
His fantasies were interrupted by a sudden high-pitched scream. Dib pulled himself into reality in time to see Zim's robot running frantically about the front yard, around and over the Lawn Gnomes, and finally straight at him.
"What the—" GIR slammed full force into Dib, sending the boy sprawling on the sidewalk, winded. GIR clutched the front of Dib's shirt, still screaming, stopping only to take a breath (it breathes?). Dib stared at the little robot in alarm and bewilderment, and a bit of annoyance. What was it screaming about? GIR's little hands grabbed the sides of its metal head, screaming in terror.
"What are you screaming about?" he shouted over the noise. GIR threw its arms to the sides and screamed directly into Dib's face, nearly deafening him. Dib immediately clamped a hand over its mouth, muffling its cries. "STOP SCREAMING!"
Dib pulled his hand away quickly in disgust as GIR licked his hand.
"Ugh!" He wiped it off on his black pant leg, scrunching his nose. GIR squeaked, a faint smile on it face. As Dib wiped his hand, he noticed it was completely covered in something red and sticky. Syrup from a frozen drink, obviously. Dib stopped and gazed at the small robot sitting on top of him. The red sticky substance was all over it, not just around its face. He ran a finger along the side of GIR's leg, collecting some of the gelatinous goo and rubbed it between his fingers and thumb, testing the thickness. His eyes widened in realization.
"Blood…" he whispered, separating his fingers and watching the sanguin slowly trail down. Dib stared at his hand in awe and horror. Who's blood was this? Did Zim have some poor unsuspecting being in there experimenting with?
"Listen, I need you to tell me what's going on in there. Is someone being tortured?" GIR looked down at Dib's chest, tears threatening to spill over. "What?"
GIR erupted in a new wave of shrieking sobs, tears spraying every which way. He whined a rambling explanation that took a moment to register in Dib's brain.
"IwasthirstyandIneededmoneytogetaChocoFreezysoIwentdowntothelabtoaskMasterforitandhewasdownthereonthefloorallcoveredin RED STUFF Ithoughtwasjellyhewassittinginlikehedoeswithpaste BUT IT WASN'T! And he said my name!" GIR screamed in fear, grasping the sides of its head. Dib covered its mouth again, looking up and down the street for anyone that may be looking and shushing it.
Dib removed the little robot from atop his chest and slowly stood, noticing that the blood had stained his favorite shirt a strange brown. He looked to the house and pondered. So it's ZIM'S? An accident in the lab, perhaps? He clasped his hands together fiendishly, grinning from ear to ear. This could be my chance! He's injured! Dib looked down at GIR, still smiling.
"Show me." GIR cocked its head to the side in wonder.
"Whhhhhy?" its bright cyan eyes glowed. Dib shook his hands in exaggerated frustration, "Do you want to help Zim, or not?" The robot rested its right hand against the side of its face and thought.
"Hmmm… OKAY!" It grabbed Dib's hand and rushed him through the yard and into the house. Dib knew the interior all too well, making his way to the garbage can in the kitchen. GIR, as though running a race, squealed and dove in ahead of Dib. He sighed and followed.
Zim groaned, full consciousness hitting him like a brick wall. He opened his eyes slowly, the pain from the entrance and exit wounds of the laser combined with the fallen metal shrapnel embedded in his flesh overbearing to the point of being numb. Seeing the burnt wires above him, he moaned agonizingly, closing his eyes again. I can't even kill myself right. And here I'll lie until I either bleed to death, or gain enough strength to try again.
It was darker than he remembered, the air denser. Dib looked about the shadows carefully, suddenly thinking how stupid he was for running willingly into his arch nemesis' base, with only the say of an insane robot to vouch for the current condition of the situation. Dib jumped as an exposed wire sparked and popped from the ceiling. His eyes followed the wires, noticing a massive burning hole where machinery used to be. Sharp pieces of shrapnel lay scattered about. The odor of some metal he couldn't quite place was almost overpowering, and he covered his nose and mouth with the collar of his shirt. Dib coughed in disgust when he realized that his shirt smelled of the same metal. Dib stopped suddenly, his breath stolen from his lungs as his stomach dropped from the ghastly scene before him. He let his collar fall as he stared opened mouthed.
There lay Zim in a massive puddle of what appeared to be his own blood. It covered him so there was barely a trace of his green flesh exposed. He was lying in an odd position on his back, his legs bent slightly and pointing to one side as though he had been dropped. Zim's left arm was bent backward, and right stretched beside him, hand limp.
"My God, what happened?" Dib whispered, gazing up at the damage overhead, then back at the mangled body of Zim. GIR quickly rushed to Zim's side, kneeling in the blood, but surprisingly stayed quiet.
This was not how Dib had expected to react. He had imagined a scene like this at least a million times, and what he would do should that day ever arrive. He imagined himself dancing about, cheering and laughing at Zim's failure, taunting him with every amount of malice he had stored in his body. But here he was, standing there with a strange sense of fear, and not for himself. In his mind, it would have been Dib that struck the final blow, becoming the hero he knew he was destined to be, however cheesy and trite that idea sounded. Dib looked down at Zim again, his eyes following his right arm's angle and position. His eyes rested on what appeared to be a ray gun about a foot away, half in the partially dried, partially congealed blood. Very little fresh blood appeared on his person. This happened maybe within a few hours. GIR's glowing eyes were contorted as though to weep again.
Stupid… you did this to yourself. Why? Clenching his fists, Dib's body shook with renewed rage. He grit his teeth, closing his eyes tightly. He shook his head slowly before releasing it all in one burst of anger.
"This is not how it was supposed to be, Zim! You stupid Alien!" His sudden shout startled GIR, who quickly covered its mouth in surprise. "It was supposed to be me! That's how it goes! You're not supposed to—" Dib felt his throat tighten, cutting off the rest. He fought to hold back a sudden urge to cry, not in sadness but in sheer frustration and anger.
"…go…away…dib…beast…" Zim's voice was harsh and liquidy, barely above a whisper.
"Master!" GIR's eyes lit up.
"I'm… I'm here to… help." Dib couldn't believe his own words as he said them!
"help…" he made a noise that Dib wasn't sure was a laugh or cough, "then… use the… blaster… on the …ressst of my… skull. If you're here to… watch me …suffer… gloat all you want." Zim wheezed and gasped throughout his retort. The air seemed to be losing the battle against the liquid filling his lungs. Zim forced a grin that was barely visible in the shadows.
"Better yet… lead your… Swollen Moth Ball …Society to prove… you're right … all along…" Zim sputtered fresh blood. Dib didn't know what to say to him, the adrenaline pumping in his veins burned, his head swimming from reality and the metallic odor of the blood and burnt wires.
"Some of my … insides are …on the outside… if you want to take notes… Dib Worm…" GIR whimpered at the last statement, resting a gentle hand on his knee. Dib scowled, motioning dramatically, "Why, Zim? After all that you've done to get to this point, why do this? The mission become too much for –"
"MISSION?" Zim forced this with everything he had, "…mission… secret mission… no, exile…" Dib stepped forward as Zim's whispers became faint. Exile? "…no armada… no mission… nothing… all for… nothing… ," Zim forced an eerie smile, "I would laugh… if I had the breath." Zim gasped shakily before continuing, "… Invader… what a joke… gir is no…thing more than… junk and …spare parts… miraculously animate… 'advanced'…," Zim mused at this last part.
"Master, you're shaking. Are you cold?" GIR's tiny voice seemed to make this scenario all the more real for Dib.
"So you just gave up?"
"An… Irken with no… purpose in life… is better off… not… living…" Zim no longer cared what the human thought of him. It was the same with everything else. The only thing that cared whether he lived or died was GIR, and that was probably due to the fact that he provided its silly vises. Zim knew as soon as he breathed his last that GIR would head straight up to the living room to watch the Angry Munkey, or whatever stupid thing it had planned for that day.
"But at least… you're here now…" Zim said aloud, not even realizing his inner monologue was becoming mixed without. Dib looked at him confused.
"So bleeding to death is better than living with humans?" Dib spat.
"Irkens are not…a …peaceful people… Dib… we work…as one… but also… against… we are… embodiment … of chaos … destroy… to create… one… perfect… unity…"
Dib found himself kneeling beside Zim to hear him. He never knew how philosophic Zim could be, but then again, who had the time when hurling obscenities and projectiles at each other any chance they could get? It scared Dib to hear Zim so… calm. Destruction of Earth didn't really mean eradicating the people, but forcing them under one rule? One unified state, would that really be so bad? Dib shook his head to expel the dying Irken's haunting explanation. Of course it would be! Dib liked things the way they were!
"Oh, to be a … part of that… unity again. But… I suppose I …never… was…" Zim looked to Dib, "you've won… worm… your Earth is safe… always had been… no armada… no invader… just an outcast … with illusions of grandeur… and lots of neat toys … to blow things up…"
"Stop talking, Zim, you'll make things worse." Zim's left antennae twitched in confusion. Dib looked to GIR, who had apparently fell asleep sitting up during Zim's speech, "Hey, you!" GIR started awake.
"HI!" it waved.
"I need you to find Zim's first aid stuff, and do it quick!" GIR smiled, its tongue stinking out the side.
"Okie-dokie!" and it scampered off, squeaking merrily. Dib adjusted Zim to lie in a more comfortable position. Zim blinked irritably.
"What are you doing?"
"Fixing you up, Kamikaze Invader."
"Oh, Irk, just let me die!" Zim closed his eyes and groaned.