(Hello! And welcome back the Another Alter Universe, I'm your author, Ryu-Forte, and I will be answering your comments and questions at this time. andalitebandit-6, yes, fluff is nice. And to answer your 946 question, just go look at your nearest phone. Yes, my filthy cliff hangers will always keep you guessing. And I can't tell you that. Capra hircus, of course, they can't be happy until everyone is dead. And I can't tell you if Dib's gonna die or not. And beautiful final words, eh? Uru Baen…glad you fixed it! Now you can see what happens XP. For all of you who do not go to my DA account, this is the second to last chapter. Yes! There are only two left! It's finally coming to an end! On with the longest chapter yet!)
Well, Zim had finally gotten what he always wanted, the Dib gone. But he seemed to be more bitter that victorious. After all this time of despising Dib and wanting him out of his antenna, now, more than ever, he wanted the Dib stink around. The room seemed to become much colder when he left, and Zim felt alone. Zim never felt alone, he was just fine being by himself. Irkens rarely hung around other Irkens, unless at training camp, or had friends…but this…this…
"Stupid human…" murmured Zim, "Stupid…" he looked out into space, thinking about all the things Dib said. 'Forget…yes, it would be wise to forget the Dib…' But the more he tried to forget, the more he couldn't. The Dib was now rooted into his memory and like a weed, always keeps coming back. But being the patient person he was, Zim got up and started walking around the room, looking for weakness.
"Grrrr…stupid human captivity chamber…" he grumbled, finding no weakness. He went back and sat down against the wall. He only just sat down when the door opened. A scientist was standing there.
"Come, it is time…" said the scientist.
Zim growled, but complied, only because he was planning to escape, and he almost didn't care what happened to him anymore.
The scientist cuffed his hands and led Zim out of the room. They went down the halls and turned the corner and continued down several corridors. They then stopped.
"I'm taking off the cuffs…don't say a damn thing…." said the scientist, undoing the cuffs.
"Who are you?" asked Zim, turning to face the scientist.
"You'll figure it out in a minuet…I'll keep them distracted." said the scientist right before she changed shape. It was none other than Kumi when her form finally stopped changing. She smiled, then her form started changing again so that Zim was staring at his very likeness. "Now go! Go save Dib! You'll find him two floors up in the command center!" She then ran off in her new form to go cause mischief.
Zim stood there, letting all of what happened sink in. But then found himself trying to find an elevator or a teleporter of some kind.
'Hold on Dib!' he thought as he desperately tried to find a way to get up two floors, 'Just hold on! I'm coming for you!'
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Too bad Kumi didn't tell Zim 325 was also running a muck. He constantly destroyed computer consoles, knocking out guards and scientists along the way. He got pretty far to. He had successfully knocked out the power in nearly 65 percent of the research labs. Which was definitely enough to allow the Tallest to escape and cause an uproar. All the Irken guards and scientists crumbled before the Almighty Tallest. Even some of the humans swayed to their power and height.
"Eh? How do you like now? Huh? HUH?" said Red smacking around some of the guards.
"Ungrateful worms! You DARE betray your almighty rulers?" screeched Purple, also knocking around some of the Irkens.
"My Tallest! We were not aware you were alive!" cried one of the guards.
"Eh?" said Red, stopping temporarily his painful wrath. "What do you mean?"
"The Black Clad one said he had assassinated you and therefore took your place as Tallest! The lab you were held in was off limits to all of us except the Black clad one himself!" cried the guard, hoping to keep his life at the mercy of Red. Guess luck was on his side, because Red dropped him in a not so nice way…but his life was sparred. Purple also dropped his pummel junkie. Red pointed a long green claw at the guards.
"You two gather go gather all the other Irken followers. The armada is about to rise again with hell to pay." He said in a low growl.
The guards took off in the two different directions to gather every Irken they could find into the collective.
Purple turned to Red. "What do you plan to do?"
"Overthrow the 'Tallest' and take back our proper positions." cooed Red. He looked at Purple with a new shine in his eyes. "And if we live through this, remind me to do something…"
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The guards forced Dib to his knees with much effort, and it was a struggle to keep him down. A quick rifle butt to the base of Dib's neck solved the problem. Dib doubled over in pain, and looked up to see 946.
The creature stood tall over him, tail twitching with annoyance. His wings were folded over his body like a cloak and his antenna twitched at every sound.
Dib looked up wide eyed from his spot on the floor. He was speechless at how the creature looked down at him with a look of blood in his glowing red eyes. The creature reached out with a clawed hand and grasped around Dib's scythe-lock and pulled him painfully to his feet. 946 cupped his pointer claw and thumb around Dib's chin and turned his head to get a better look at his captive. 946 then retracted his hand and turned to a darkness inside the room.
"He's very young…" said 946, "I don't think this one could have done anything…"
A growl came from the darkness and Evil Dib stepped out into the light. "That doesn't mean he didn't do it either…I say we kill him anyway…" he growled.
946 looked down at Dib, who looked scared to death. 946 shook his head. "But he's not the right one. We shouldn't just kill him to kill him." said 946, "There should be proper propagation first…"
"He's working with the one who killed you…" cooed Evil Dib.
"And that would be proper propagation…" snickered 946. He looked down at Dib once more.
Dib looked at the floor, a broken shell of a boy. There was no point in this anymore, even if he escaped, he's just be hunted down like an animal. All that matters is that Zim escapes.
Zim…
It was his fault they were there in the first place. He built that device that brought them to this stinking world. Then this happens: he's kneeling before one of the worst creations in the existence of science, about to be executed for absolutely nothing. It's all Zim's fault…all his stupid fault…If only he hadn't come to Earth…If only he hadn't existed…
True, if Zim had never come, or even existed, this wouldn't have happened, none of it would have. His life would have been uneventful, and he probably would have given up on the paranormal…to pursue 'real science'. And Alter dimensions would never exist except in theory. He would have never been happy, only living in the shadow of his father.
But no, it couldn't be that simple, nothing ever is. Zim had to come and bring this hardship on everyone around him…
'That bastard…If I get out of this alive, I'll kill him…' he thought, as 946 picked him up off the ground, claws clutching his neck, Dib's feet dangling peacefully as the life was slowly chocked out of him.
The creature was surprised to see Dib smile, even though he faced death in mere moments.
"If you kill me, you're no better than the specter that killed you…" choked Dib right before he was dropped. He coughed up some blood, but not enough to send up serious warning flags.
The creature's eyes seemed to glow with an odd light, in confusion and understanding of this new view presented to him. He looked at Dib with an odd glare.
"Why do you refer to him as a specter?" asked 946, "Tell me now!" he demanded, his wings unfolding and spanning the length of the room to make himself look more menacing.
"From what I know of your…situation…you haven't yet found your attacker. Which leaves me to believe that he was a specter, a one time thing…" coughed Dib from his spot on the floor.
"Insolent child! You know not what you toy with!" howled 946, picking the boy up by his T-shirt, "You speak foolishness and LIES!" he ruthlessly threw Dib to the ground and re-folded his wings so they were more cape-like. He growled a throaty rumble and he narrowed his eyes. "You are a fool. Take this time to contemplate your death…"
Dib righted himself so that he sat in a traditional Japanese style. 'Ok, what am I gonna do, what am I gonna do…' he thought looking around, trying to improve a way out. 'I'm not gonna die in this rotting hole. I still have my life to live! Dammit! Its do or die time, baby, and I ain't gonna die!' (Must have gotten his second wind…) Dib suddenly burst from his sitting position to a tackle, which took 946 very much by surprise. Dib thought fast and ducked in and out of 946's punches and swipes, which was virtually all he could with his hands bound.
Evil Dib was about to just shoot Dib right then and there, but his communicator started beeping.
"WHAT?" he spat, not in the mood to deal with anything at the moment.
"Sir! The Alters, 325 and the beast girl have escaped! They're running a muck and destroying stuff an…M-my….My Tallest! I!..." the communicator then went to the fuzz channel and nothing could be heard.
"Shit…" murmured Evil Dib, turning off the communicator. "Zim! We have a prisoner problem! They all escaped!"
"Then send someone to go take care of it! I'm busy!" growled 946 angrily, trying to hit Dib, who was doing a really good job of dodging and blocking with his feet.
"Someone should have already been on it!" shouted Evil Dib. He pulled out his gun and carefully aimed it at Dib. He had just cocked the gun and was ready to fire when the doors burst open. He looked to see the Tallest and a small army of Irkens behind him.
"What the hell is this?" shouted Evil Dib at the top of his lungs.
"I believe it's called a coo…" said Purple matter-o'-factly, "Seize the Black Clad one and the creature."
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The Alters and 325 had long met up to do a group raid, breaking everything in sight and causing serious black-outs. But it was only too short lived when a familiar figure walked around the corner.
"You have gone far enough." hissed 732. He walked towards the group, wings outstretched and tail twitching madly.
"Stay away, or we'll bruise you good…" hissed Alter Zim.
"I'd like to see you try, you sad excuse for an Irken!" shouted 732 as he charged the group.
"He warned you!" shouted 325 as he hefted up a bucket of water and threw it on 732.
732 howled in pain and collapsed contorting wildly as he flesh melted from his bones. It truly was a horrific sight to behold. When 732 had stopped and stumbled to his clawed feet, you could see the bone of his skull on the left side of his face, and his entire eye ball was exposed and sagged slightly out of its socket. You could also see the tubes and tendons in his neck, as well as back to his spine. Part of his shoulder and chest had been eaten away, the inner organs and muscles now exposed and streamed as they moved.
"W-what have you DONE TO ME?" shrieked 732, still steaming, some flesh still melting off. His body did not repair itself like it normally would, nor would it ever again.
"It's called water, you blue piece of shit!" said Alter Dib.
"I'LL KILL YOU ALL!" cackled 732 as he went for Alter Dib's throat.
But he stopped in his tracks, his eyes wide. He was frozen in place. 325 was standing in front of him, his blood red claws emphasized by the blood of 732. 325 had is claws in 732's chest, gripping his still beating heart.
"Now who's the defective…" hissed 325 as he ripped 732's heart from his chest, then crushed it in his fist. 732 dropped to the ground, never to rise again.
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"Coo?" laughed Evil Dib, "This will surely amuse me. You do not have enough power to form a coo."
"Watch us." said Red. The Irken army they had formed stormed the room. Evil Dib just laughed and started picking off Irkens left and right with his trusty 45.
"What are you doing?" shouted 946, stopping his assault on Dib.
"Why do you care? These are the same people who exiled you to Earth in the first place. They shunned you and left you for dead!" said Evil Dib, effortlessly killing all the Irkens that tried to kill him.
"But they're still MY people." retorted 946, "Stop it now. What you're doing here in un honorable…"
"Honor? What honor? Honor doesn't exist anymore!" Evil Dib got another one of those psychotic smiles that stretched the length of his slender, corpse-like face.
Something clicked inside of 946's brain. 'That smile…that frightening smile…' he thought. It was the same smile of the one who killed him. His stance, his attitude, the way he talked. It was all the same. He didn't understand why he didn't notice it before. An anger built up inside him and he just let it overcome him.
"You sick, egotistical, idealistic bastard…" snarled 946, jumping Evil Dib and pinning him to the ground, "You tricked me! It was you the whole time! I'll kill you! I'll tare you limb from limb!"
"Zim! What are you talking about?" coughed Evil Dib, from having the wind knocked out of him.
"It was you…you killed me…it was YOU!" there was a bloodlust in his eyes and in his voice as he took on a devilish appearance form Evil Dib's point of view.
"No! I didn't kill you! It wasn't me! I saved you, dammit! Zim! Snap out of it!" said Evil Dib, not able to do much more than try and talk his way out of the situation.
Dib had since been surrounded by Irkens with shock staffs and chose not to aggravate the situation any further. He had been beat up enough today…
Red and Purple watched with smirks of anticipation, then Red spoke up.
"Since the Black Clad one is currently busy, I hereby declare us, Red and Purple, your Almighty Tallest!" there was a cheer from the small Irken militia.
Then, as if on cue, 946 lifted Evil Dib up off the ground above the heads of all the Irken spectators. The look in 946's eyes could scare even the toughest of soldiers and it sure was scaring the hell out of Evil Dib.
"You tricked me…" hissed 946, holding Evil Dib high above his head, watching as the human slowly started to panic. "I should tare out your intestines and make you eat them…"
"I didn't betray you!" gasped Evil Dib, holding onto 946's outstretched arms, "I'm not the one who caused you this pain!" I gave you life! If it weren't for me…"
"I'd be dead?" finished 946, tightening his death grip. "I'm not the one who asked for this. I didn't ask to be reborn as a monster! That was all your doing!" spat 946, throwing Evil Dib against the wall with brutal force. When he hit there was a sickening crunch of bones before he slumped to the floor. Evil Dib didn't stir, he was out cold.
946 walked over to the pile of broken bones and bleeding flesh Evil Dib had landed in. He placed a clawed foot on Evil Dib's shoulder and ripped off his bionic arm, then tossed it unmercilessly to the far corner of the room.
"You, restrain the Black Clad one. Bind him so he can't escape." Ordered 946, pointing to an Irken guard. The guard turned to the Tallest and Purple nodded. The guard then went to bind Evil Dib.
946 walked over to the Tallest, wings folding around him like a cloak once more. As he stood in front of them, he was considerably taller than either of them, and it made the other Irkens nervous. But in a very OOC way, and very chivalrous way, 946 kneeled in front of both of them.
"By the rules of engagement, and by the unspoken law of the armada, I give my self to you. I await whatever fate I have before me…" said 946, not making eye contact with the Tallest.
Red and Purple looked at each other, then at the creature.
"Um…we really didn't plan on anything…for you…" said Red, "But you do seem like one worthy of being in the Irken military…"
"Sirs, if you will, I do not desire it. I've made many mistakes in my existence, some not so wise to talk about. I am a defective. I realize that now. I should have never lived past smeethood…Never to have my data reentered into the collective…" 946's head drooped down farther and his antenna were flat against his head. Even his tail seemed to be lifeless. "Had in not been for me, the armada would be at least 100 times stronger. This Irken…This Irken pack has been living on borrowed time. The Irken Zim has been living on borrowed time. No, I do not deserve such a high honor now, nor did I ever deserve it. I never will, nor will I ever want it. All I ask is for execution to be quick and painless…"
The Tallest were shocked to say the least at what the creature was saying. They couldn't quite fathom that how this could be Zim, in look and how he was acting. Zim was headstrong and ignorant, no way could he admit his data was defective. And now they had the chance to get rid of Zim once and for all. He was virtually begging them to kill him. But for some odd reason, they didn't quite take it.
"Zim?" said Purple, astonished, "Is that you?"
"Yes, my sirs." Said 946 dully.
Purple looked at Red with his 'It followed me home, can I keep it?' eyes. Red caved under his co-rulers gaze.
"Stand up so I…we can pass judgment…" said Red almost tiredly. 946 stood up as he was told. "I hereby declare you unworthy of being an Invader, or even being in the armada…" Purple snapped his head to look at Red with a scared look about him. Red continued, "You are, however, worthy, if not more so, to be our personal body guard. Your level headedness, strength and attitude are exactly what we are looking for in our body guards. Judgment has been passed…."
946 remained on the floor, kneeling for a time before he stood up. He looked down at Red with tiredness showing in every sense of his being.
"Why didn't you kill me?" asked 946.
Red looked up at him, jealousy clear in his look. "Didn't feel like it…" and he walked off to talk to some of the guards for no reason whatsoever.
Purple looked at 946. "Don't worry about it. If even he feels you should live, then take it as a blessing. But if you want to die so bad, just wait a week or two, I'm sure he'll get all pissy again and decide to take his wrath out on someone. Just be sure you're near him…" he went over to be with Red.
946 just sighed and went over to look at his former 'lover'. It really was a sad excuse for a human. Laying there, all unconscious-like. Though he looked so serine just laying there, bound in the heaviest binding rope available. But underneath it all, he was just a heartless bastard bent on revenge.
As 946 dwelled on his thoughts, Zim was just about to give up all hope of ever finding Dib in the command center, when he just happened to run past the room. He jogged back and peaked his head inside the doorframe and saw Dib encircled by Irken guards.
'Dib! Oh, thank Irk, this must be the place…" he thought. He slipped into the room like a highly skilled ninja and hugged the wall. Lucky for him, Dib was facing the other direction towards the creature. If Dib had been facing the other way, he surely would have blown Zim's cover. Zim quickly made a mad dash and grabbed Dib by the arm and took off running. Dib regained his balance and ran alongside Zim.
One of the guards noticed the two running for their lives.
"Halt! Desist!" shouted the guard.
"Let them go…" said Red, "They aren't a threat."
Catching up with the escapees…
Zim paused briefly to undo Dib's hand restraints, which by chance had Dib leaning against a wall with Zim behind him.
"Zim! Wh…"
"Shh! No talking!" Zim was able to get the cuffs off, "Running no, love confessions later!" barked Zim, once again dragging Dib behind him and going down random hallways.
'I'm glad your ok Zim…I'm happy that we're going to make it out of this hell alive to tell the tale…' thought Dib right before they turned one corner, only to run into someone, knocking both of them back onto their butts.
"Ow…" groaned Alter Dib, "Well, at least this saves us the trouble of trying to find you…"
"Eh?" came a confused grunt from Zim, "Where did you come from?"
"We've been here…" said Alter Zim.
"Yep, all of us…" said Kumi, walking towards them with a slight limp.
"What happened to you?" asked Dib.
"Shock staff…man, I never realized how much they really dislike you…"
"…"
"Moving on…" said Alter Dib, "Let's get out of this shit hole before all of it goes up in fiery goodness…"
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(Wow, the longest chapter to date. Hope you guys don't mind too terrible much. Like I said earlier, there only remains one chapter, and it will be posted soon, but not right away. The conclusion to Another Alter Universe will precede this chapter. Hope you all can hold out just a few more days. Thank you and good night.)