"The more things change, the more they stay insane."
Fortune Cookie

Return of the Zim

"Talking"

'Thinking'

Stressed
Skoodge was horrified at the insanity the little robot possessed. Gir had Zim's body in the air and was laughingwildly as heblindly swung a metal pipe. Gir was also blindfolded. Skoodge had tried to retrieve the pipe, but he was smacked in the head with the said object. Skoodge winced every time the pipe came close to Zim. Gir spun around and screamed piñata as he swung the pipe. Skoodge closed his eyes knowing that the pipe would make contact with Zim's body.

Clunk

Skoodge's eyes instantly opened at the sound. Gir still held the pipe with one hand and removed the blindfold with another hand. Gaz calmly stared down at both of them. Her features were stoic and she was watching them through squinted eyes. Gir widely smiled and instantly stopped when he noticed her not smiling. Gaz removed the pipe and tossed it to the side. Her eyes strayed to Zim's limp form. She quickly unbound him and let his body fall back to the ground.

"What were you doing?" Gaz calmly questioned.

"Piñata! I wanted candy," Gir answered as he stressed the last word.

"Zim is not a piñata filled with candy," Gaz explained as she reached into her pocket.

"Awww…I just wanted to play," Gir sullenly said.

"You've been bad," Gaz scolded.

"Did you get the power cell?" Skoodge warily asked.

"Why didn't you stop him?" Gaz calmly asked, a bit of anger edged out of her voice.

"I tried…and I got smacked in the head," Skoodge quickly said as he motioned to his head.

"I got the power cell," Gaz stated as she pulled it from her pocket and tossed it to Skoodge.

Skoodge caught it and looked down at it. His eyes widened in shock. Gaz raised an eyebrow. Gir began to chuckle.

"This is…this is…"

"I took Red's cell," Gaz clarified.

"How did you get close enough?" Skoodge asked in awe.

"Not important, but put the cell in," Gaz ordered as Skoodge nodded.

Skoodge quickly walked over to Zim and pressed an area on his Pak. He then placed the cell in and frowned. They would still need a shock to wake Zim. Skoodge frowned and wondered where they would get enough electricity. Gaz seemed to be pondering this too.

"We need a shock," Skoodge pointed out.

Gaz looked around and grinned when her eyes landed on a light bulb, in the side of the wall. It was amazing where you could find things. Gaz lifted Zim onto her shoulder and began to carry him towards the light. When she was close enough, she threw him towards it. Skoodge grimaced at this and Gir began to laugh. The light shorted out and everything went dark.

"That was pretty!" Gir laughed.

Emergency lights came on and Gaz stared down at Zim. She could see him pushing himself up to his hands and knees. The lights on his Pak were fully lit. Gaz didn't know if she should go and help him, or leave him. Gaz hesitantly took a step forward and reached out to him. She had never felt the need to help or go to anyone. Her teeth clenched her lower lip as she pushed herself to go to him. She wanted to help him, it felt strange, but the feeling made her happy. Gaz kneeled next to him and let her hand rest on his shoulder. His head snapped toward her and she looked into his crimson eyes.

"Gaz?" Zim questioned.

"Who else?" Gaz questioned.

Zim sat up and Gaz remained kneeling in front of him. He raised his hands and flexed his fingers in confusion. Reaching out and let his claws trace her skin. His claw lightly traced the cut at the corner of her left eye. The cut ended at the corner of her mouth. Zim pulled back and patted his head.

"I'm really alive," Zim mused.

"I brought you back…again," Gaz softly teased. Zim glared and then his glare softened as he recognized the humor.

"I thought I got you to the ship," Zim angrily said.

"You did, but I was captured and taken back to a cell. Skoodge helped me break out and fix you," Gaz explained.

"Skoodge?" Zim said in questioned.

"Hello," Skoodge greeted.

"You're…alive…and still short," Zim said as Gaz glared at him.

"I was to be deactivated, but Gaz helped me," Skoodge said with a smile.

"You helped him…you actually helped someone?" Zim asked in slight fear.

"Yeah…so?" Gaz challenged. "It's that Omega DNA, it's making me soft."

"Omega DNA?" Zim questioned.

"It has bonded with thirty percent of her DNA," Skoodge answered.

"Gaz lies…she has a heart," Gir suddenly said as he ran over and hugged her.

"The affection…it burns," Gaz growled.

"Is there meat?" Zim asked.

"What's meat?" Skoodge questioned.

"It's horrible…absolutely disgusting…oh how it burns!" Zim ranted.

"When need to leave?" Gaz suddenly said.

"Why?" Zim asked as he calmed.

"She took Red's power cell and gave it to you," Skoodge answered.

"Oh," Zim said with stunned voice.

Sirens suddenly went off.

Purple floated down the hall while his advisor continued to talk. All he could hear was an annoying voice droning on. Purple sucked on his straw and it made an empty sound. He made this sound every time the advisor spoke. They came to Red's door and he knocked.

"It would be best if you didn't eat so much during treaties," the advisor finished.

"Why? We don't really make treaties," Purple stated. "All we do is warn them that we're going to blow them up."

"Still you might be taken a bit more seriously," the advisor sighed.

"RED!" Purple shouted as he hit the door.

Purple raised an antenna in confusion when he didn't hear anything. Red usually would have replied by now. Purple moved his arm to the control pad and punched in Red's code. The door went to move, but it creaked and sparked. Purple tried again and the door didn't open. He began to pound on the door.

"Get the Royal Guards and the technicians!" Purple ordered.

The advisor quickly removed his communicator from the front of his Pak. Purple had stopped calling out once the guards and technicians had arrived. They pried the door open and Purple frowned. It was the first real frown he had in a while. He floated in the room and searched for Red. His eyes landed on the form on the floor. There was writing above Red's form. Purple shook his head and watched as one of the technicians went to Red. The technician sighed and shook his head.

"He's just missing a power cell," he assured.

"Okay," Purple said.

The advisor dismissed the others and remained in the room with Purple. Purple floated over to a drawer and punched in his code. Smoke filtered into the air as it opened. Purple reached in and picked up one of the power cells. Purple then closed it and floated back to Red.

"Are you sure you wish to reactivate him?" The advisor questioned. "You could rule the empire without him."

"No, he's co-ruler," Purple mumbled as he gripped the cell.

"This will spread and he will be considered weak," the advisor calmly explained.

"You purpose leaving him deactivated?" Purple questioned.

"Do as you wish…you are ruler," the advisor calmly said.

Purple held the power cell and looked at the words on the window. He sighed and placed the cell into Red's Pak. A metal arm extended from the ceiling and shocked him back to life. Red's eyes slowly regained a healthy glow. He blinked and looked at Purple.

"The darkness," Red mumbled.

"She came?" Purple questioned in confusion.

"It was dark…she was everywhere and nowhere," Red vaguely said.

"She's gone now," Purple assured.

"I'll sound the alarms," the advisor said and left the room.

"She destroyed my bear, took my cell, and my reputation," Red growled.

"At least you're still alive," Purple pointed out.

"Being alive doesn't matter when you're forever ruined," Red harshly snapped.

"I would like to live…even if I was nobody," Purple calmly said as he floated out of the room.

Red glared, but turned around. He glared at the words on the window. They were written in crimson. He would get her back and prove to the empire that he wasn't weak. Red did know that if he ever did sleep, he would have nightmares. His eyes already strayed to the shadows in worry.

You'll never get it back
Zim had grabbed her hand and held it tightly within his as they ran. They had already run to where the Voot cruiser would have been. It was gone and Zim knew that it wouldn't have held all of them. Gir held onto Zim's head as they moved along the shadows. Zim had tried to leave Skoodge behind, but Gaz had picked the Invader up and carried him. He was now on her back getting a piggyback ride.

"We'll steal a bigger ship then," Zim reasoned as Gaz raised an eyebrow.

"Didn't you notice that there are screens of our faces floating all over?" Gaz dryly asked.

"That doesn't matter," Zim said as they ran to an area.

Gaz silently followed him and Gir occasionally chuckled at the smaller Irkens running around in a panic. They reached a hanger without being spotted and Gaz scowled. Gaz wondered why Zim didn't have some cloaking device that would make things easier. She could feel Skoodge tighten his hold in what she guessed was fear. They ducked in the shadows as they waited for a couple of Irkens to pass. Zim pointed out a ship and Gaz grimaced. It was on the other side of the area.

"Let's go," Zim whispered.

Zim's hold tightened on her hand and they took off. Red lights flashed and Gaz grimaced as a squad of Irkens surrounded them. They held small guns with a green glow at the end. Zim reached over and grabbed Skoodge. Gaz growled as she pulled Skoodge back.

"What?" Zim sheepishly asked.

"You were going to throw him at them!" Gaz growled. Zim shrugged and Gaz rolled her eyes. "Bad Zim."

Skoodge released a sigh of relief and Gaz actually felt sorry for the Invader. Two shadows emerged from a door and she glared at the Tallest. The ship they wanted was only a few feet away.

"I'm going to kill you," Red calmly said.

"I love you too," Gaz dryly said as Zim raised an eyebrow in confusion.

Two advisors stepped out from behind the Tallest and glared at Zim and the others. Purple's advisor began to stutter as he pointed to Zim. Zim raised an antenna in confusion. Red's eyes narrowed as he glared at them. Purple simply tossed a few chips into his mouth.

"How is he still alive?" Purple questioned as he pointed to Skoodge.

"None of your business," Gaz replied as the short Irken froze.

"Yeah, wasn't he scheduled for deactivation?" Red questioned his advisor.

The advisor's Pak opened on his chest and a digital schedule appeared. He ran through a list and sighed. He pointed to somewhere and showed Red.

"Yep," Red growled.

"Fine, destroy them all," Red commanded.

"Wait!" Purple's advisor shouted.

"What?" Red growled in anger.

The advisor ran over to Zim, saluted, and wiggled his antennae.

"Huh?" Purple and Red mumbled.

"All hail Tallest Zim!" The advisor announced.

"What the hell?" Red shouted as he choked on his own spit.

The advisor pulled out a small metal ball. He tossed it to the ground and an image of Purple and Red against a chart appeared. The chart added Zim to the image and showed that he was a half an inch taller then red and Purple. The Irkens lowered their weapons and wiggled their antennae.

"No! Shoot them!" Red growled.

"By laws of Irk, Zim is the Tallest and must therefore take the almighty position of power!" The advisor declared.

"Huh?" Zim's shocked reply.

"Zim's tall!" Gir cheered.

"He's not taller!" Red protested.

"I told you he got tall," Purple dryly said as Red glared at him.

"What is your first command?" The advisor questioned as Zim remained dumbfounded.

"Say something," Gaz growled as she squeezed his hand.

"Silence!" Zim shouted as everyone in the room raised a questioning antenna.

"I meant something intelligent," Gaz grumbled.

"It is not normal to have the last Tallest still around, what do you want done with them?" The advisor questioned. Purple dropped his bag of chips and Red went silent.

Gaz leaned up and whispered something to Zim. Zim nodded in agreement.

"My first act as ruler shall be that I want a ship," Zim declared.

"Okay," the advisor drawled.

"For my second act I want you to all close your eyes," Zim declared with a grin.

"What? That's just stupid!" Red growled.

"For five minutes!" Zim shouted.

All the Irkens closed their eyes except for Red and Purple. They stared at Zim like he was an idiot. Gaz made a run for the ship with Skoodge in arms. Zim stuck his tongue out at the Tallest and then ran into the ship with Gir squealing happily. Red and Purple watched as the ship powered up and launched out the building. Everyone's eyes opened and they watched the ship leave.

"He's not coming back…is he?" The advisor asked.

"Nope," Purple happily said.

"All hail Tallest Red and Purple…again!"

'Guess Zim isn't that dumb,' Purple mused. Red glared at the ship and he scowled.

"Finally, I'll be able to eat some pizza again," Gaz sighed as she relaxed in a chair.

"Where are we going?" Skoodge questioned from his seat.

"We're going to earth," Zim answered.

"Yay! I can't wait to get tacos!" Gir shouted as he started to break dance.

"Once we pass this sector we'll be home free," Zim announced.

The ship jerked as a green beam shot at them and held them in place. Gaz growled and Zim tried to speed up the engines. Gaz leaned her elbow against the armrest and simply held her chin in her hand. She figured that something like this would happen. Gaz glanced at the planet and noted that they were close to landing.

Author's Note:

Klavier and Tak aren't together, he stalks her because she crashed into his house, I'm thinking about adding a bit of DATR in the sequel, that's if all goes well
Stunk and Rig went on vacation
This chapter was edited by Invader Iza