Author's Notes: I'm probably late to the party, but I watched the new Invader Zim movie on Netflix. It was pretty good. It starts out like the comics but then goes in a completely different direction. So, because IZ is still fresh on my mind I decided to update this fic. Thank you to everyone who reads and reviews this story. Only a few more chapters to go before it's finished :)

Chapter 10

Intervention

"You what!?" Dib shrieked at Gaz.

"I quit," Gaz replied with an indifferent shrug.

Dib paced around the living room of their house, unable to believe what he was hearing.

"You do realize that with no one to control him Purple is probably going to destroy all life on earth," Dib pointed out as he frantically continued pacing, "What are we going to do? Our planet is under the complete control of an Irken invader!"

"Hey, you were the one that said I needed to get away from him," Gaz replied caustically, "And now all of a sudden you think I should've been Tallest?"

"At least you could do something in humanity's best interest!" Dib exclaimed anxiously, "Purple doesn't care about our people! Irkens aren't just evil, but they're petty too. Remember when Tak tried to fill the planet with snacks?"

Gaz just gave him a blank stare.

"You don't remember, do you?" Dib asked dryly.

"I remember the giant hot dog stand and dancing with Zim's stupid robot, but I had forgotten the other Irken's stupid plans," Gaz clarified.

"Just...never mind," Dib stopped mid-sentence and sighed, "...Just be careful, okay? I'll work to undermine Purple's evil rule any way I can, but I don't want you to get involved. You could get hurt."

"I'm not worried," Gaz stated, "Purple is still my friend. He won't hurt me."

With those words Gaz went back to her room, and Dib went to his room to begin making plans with whichever members of the Swollen Eyeball Network he could still locate. The armada would be there soon, and Dib didn't have time to waste if he was going to keep the Irkens from decimating his home and hurting his family.

The next evening Gaz was playing her World of War Piggies online game, and Dib was downstairs watching TV. She had heard him drilling, hammering, and sawing some new device in his room. He was probably going to try to save the earth again or else get a spy network on Purple. She sighed at that thought, wondering why her brother couldn't just look at meme compilations on his computer like a normal teenager.

She was about to slay a HogGoblin when Dib yelled up the stairs "Gaz! You gotta see this!"

His yelling made her lose her concentration and her character lost all of its health. She growled loudly and slammed her controller on the desk, ready to go downstairs and punish her brother. As she stomped down the stairs Dib didn't even notice the furious glare in her eyes. He was too busy watching the news.

"Gaz, you won't believe it!" Dib exclaimed as he pointed to the screen.

"Something better be on fire," Gaz ground out, "Or else something will be."

Dib pointed to the TV again, and Gaz finally calmed down enough to look at it. As it turned out, something odd was indeed going on.

"...Just disappeared into the night sky," The news anchor reported, "No one knows yet where the alien has gone, or whether there will be another invasion in the near future. The former Tallest Purple took all traces of alien technology with him when he left the Transylvanian palace, and he left a note saying that the earth was to be returned to whichever UN members managed to survive the slaughter. In other news, Britain is looking for a new Prime Minister Man after the last one was blown to a crisp by former Tallest Purple..."

Gaz turned off the TV.

"Hey! I was watching that!" Dib snapped.

"Something's going on," Gaz declared, "Purple's mission was to conquer the planet, but now suddenly he decides he doesn't want it? Something doesn't add up. You know, he never actually told me who he was working for. He's pretty tall, so he could be Irk's leader, but I don't actually know. We never talked about it. If someone else is pulling the strings though, then there might be a reason why Purple left. Something's definitely wrong. Dib, do you know who rules Irk?"

"Um, I've seen Zim's leaders once," Dib replied as he struggled to remember, "There are two of them, but I don't know their names. One of them looked like Purple, so that could've been him. The other one looked just like him only red instead of purple. I don't know if color is significant on their world though."

"I don't remember Purple mentioning another guy like him," Gaz pondered, "He's been acting pretty weird the past couple days though."

"Weird how?" Dib asked.

"He talks less than he used to," Gaz replied, "I don't mind though. His voice is almost as grating as yours. He also got really agro about a Portal game we played yesterday. He didn't want to finish the companion cube level because he didn't want to see the cube burn. That's not like him. Normally Purple likes watching things burn and blow up. He always cheers when he gets a super bomb combo attack on Vampire Piggies. It doesn't even have to be his combo. He'll cheer even if his own character blows up, just because he likes explosions. I'm going to my room now. Don't bother me."

With those words Gaz went up the stairs and didn't even bother looking back at Dib. Dib didn't like the sound of Gaz's description. If Purple was that much of an arsonist and an anarchist, then he probably had some horrifying plan to burn the earth to cinders. He probably just wanted everyone to have a false sense of security so that when he destroyed everything it would be even more terrifying for the people.

Dib knew what he had to do. He got his alien spying equipment ready and ran out of the house toward Zim's, no, Purple's base. He wasn't going to let some Irken monster hurt his planet or its people!

Gaz meanwhile sat in her room and played on her Game Slave 4. She knew she should probably investigate what was going on with Purple, but if it was something bad she really just didn't want to know. It was easier to just hide behind her games and wait for him to start acting normal again.

Her game was interrupted when the video phone started beeping. She paused the game and answered it, and sure enough it was Purple. His eyes looked tired and he only halfway smiled, but otherwise he looked none the worse for wear.

"Hey Purple, I heard you gave the earth back," Gaz said as casually as she could manage; hoping to get answers.

"Yeah, I did," Purple replied simply.

"So, what are you going to do now?" Gaz inquired.

"Eh, nothing really," Purple shrugged, "I just wanted to call to say goodbye."

"Goodbye? You going back to Irk?" Gaz asked.

"Nah, Irk won't take me back," Purple replied, "Too much history. I just won't be here anymore. I like talking to you though, so I figured we could go over some of your favorite games or something."

"Oh, well, okay I guess," Gaz replied, getting a feeling that something wasn't right with him, "You look different though. Did you do something with your antennae?"

"Heh heh, funny," Purple chuckled halfheartedly, "I guess I do look a little drained. It's nothing to worry about. There is something I'd like to ask you to do, though."

"Does it involve ordering more pizza?" Gaz said half-jokingly.

"No, nothing like that," Purple smiled wider as he spoke, but then in a more serious tone said, "Gaz, tomorrow I want you to come to my lair. In the basement there's a countdown button to destroy everything in the base. I'm talking total wipeout. That way no one knows I was ever here and no one can steal Irken technology. Can you do that for me?"

"So...you're really leaving?" Gaz asked, surprised to realize she was feeling sad about that, "Why don't you blow it up yourself?"

"I won't be able to," Purple replied vaguely, "Will you do it for me? Please?"

"Sure," Gaz agreed, "Hey, I just realized what's different about you. You're leaning all the way back on the couch. Normally your stupid PAK thing gets in the way. What'd you do with it, anyway?"

"I took it off," Purple said as he stifled a yawn, "I didn't feel like wearing it anymore."

"Oh, okay," Gaz shrugged, but then realized, "Hey wait, Dib said Irkens need PAKs to live. Is that true?"

"Uh...if I say yes will you yell at me?" Purple slurred as he slumped further in his seat.

"Purple!" Gaz suddenly yelled, "How long does it take you to die without a PAK?"

"In earth time?" Purple asked hazily, "Ten minutes...I think. Heh heh heh. Ten!"

"How long have you-? Never mind!" Gaz shouted before she hung up on Purple.

Gaz then dialed Dib's cell phone, and hoped that he would pick up quickly. If she knew her brother, then she knew exactly where he would be.

"Gaz, not now!" Dib whispered, "I'm outside Zim's-"

"Dib! Get inside Zim's house now!" Gaz practically screamed at him.

"Huh?" Dib grunted uncomprehendingly.

"Dib, this is serious!" Gaz panicked, "Purple's PAK isn't attached to him anymore. He has mere minutes before he dies! Get that PAK back on him before it's too late!"

"How did you know I would be-?" Dib started to ask.

"Hurry!" Gaz ordered.

"You want me to help an alien invader?" Dib asked crossly.

"You want me to delete every shred of evidence you've ever collected?" Gaz threatened.

"I'm on my way," Dib replied in an official tone of voice before he hung up.

Dib jumped out of the shrub he was hiding behind and ran through the door, which wasn't even locked. He saw that Purple was passed out on the couch and had turned a paler shade of green. The PAK was on the floor mere feet away from him.

Dib quickly grabbed the PAK and turned Purple around, hoping he wasn't too late. If Purple died then Gaz would make his life miserable for the rest of eternity. He found the three ports the PAK was supposed to connect to, but only had to hover the device over Purple before the tubes hooked themselves in place.

Barely daring to breathe, Dib waited anxiously to see if Purple would wake up. The unconscious invader started breathing a moment later, and then his eyes slowly opened to take in his surroundings.

"Purple?" Dib called out, "Hey! Wake up, you alien jerk!"

"Uh...This isn't deactivation," Purple said groggily, "I can still perceive things. Dib thing, what are you doing here?"

"I just saved your life, you stupid green monster!" Dib replied, a little shaken by watching an intelligent life form almost die.

"That was a terrible idea," Purple replied matter-of-factly.

"Why would you try to kill yourself?" Dib asked heatedly, "Do you know what that would do to Gaz? I know you Irkens don't care about things like that, but I thought you at least cared about your own lives!"

"You have to take my PAK, earth meat," Purple insisted, "You have to let me go."

"I'm not going to do that!" Dib protested, "Purple, why are you doing this? Really?"

"I don't talk about Irken business with inferior human scum!" Purple replied before sticking his tongue out like a petulant child.

"This isn't a game, Purple. We're talking about suicide!" Dib exclaimed frustratedly, "This is serious!"

"Maybe to you," Purple replied argumentatively, "Irkens place more value on the collective system than the individual. Only the Tallest get to be selfish."

"I don't understand," Dib wheedled, "How does your dying benefit your people?"

"You really wanna know?" Purple asked soberly, "It's a long story, and it isn't going to end the way you want it to."

"Try me," Dib replied as he sat on the floor in front of Purple's couch, not willing to leave until he had answers.

"First of all, Zim is now our Almighty Tallest," Purple explained, and took great care to not smirk at Dib's floored reaction, "That's right. Zim is now our ruler. He used trickery to get there, but he got there. He killed my Co-Tallest and stole his body."

"Co-Tallest?" Dib asked, "So you are one of their rulers!"

"Former ruler," Purple corrected, a hint of bitterness in his tone, "Zim kept me alive because he figured being banished to earth was a worse punishment than death. He wasn't entirely wrong, by the way."

"Is that why you're trying to kill yourself?" Dib asked.

"Not exactly," Purple shrugged, "I could have learned to live here. With your sister's help I managed to conquer this mud ball. I could have been fine living here ruling over the smelly humans. Then I sent Zim my progress report, and everything changed."

"What is he going to do to earth?!" Dib demanded to know.

"He gave me a choice," Purple told him icily, "He said I could kill Gaz and remain on earth as its Tallest, or if I refused he would kill me in her place, no doubt in a manner that involves long torture sessions. So I have a choice: burn my companion cube, or remain in the room of eternal torment with GLaDOS forever."

"Who's Gladys?" Dib asked in confusion, not getting the metaphor.

"Don't you see? I'm taking the only way out left," Purple told him, "If I die, then there's no reason for Zim to kill Gaz. He can't torment me with her death if I'm not here. As far as the earth goes, well, I don't really think his attention span is strong enough to let him remember this place long enough to destroy it. Even if he does, an organic sweep is a faster way to go than anything Zim could come up with."

"Wait, so...you were going to sacrifice yourself to save Gaz?" Dib asked, not sure what to make of this, "So you and she are...really friends? You're not just using her?"

"I don't have anyone else," Purple replied miserably, "I had a best friend once, but Zim killed him. Gaz reminds me so much of Red. She's strong-willed, indifferent, likes to have fun... I'll admit Red had a better sense of humor, but Gaz is only human. I can't expect her to be perfect. She's the best thing to happen to me since I my life became this, and I don't want her to die horribly for no reason."

"You can't just give up though," Dib encouraged, "Zim will destroy everything if he's allowed to get away with his evil plans. Gaz will still be in danger even if you die, and so will everything else. Purple, if you're the true leader of your planet, then you need to go back and stop Zim from ruining your legacy and the memory of your fallen friend. I can help you. We can help you. Together we can stop Zim and his insidious evil! What do you say?"

"What can you do?" Purple asked critically, "You've been trying to stop him for 4 years with no success. If anything I think it would be worse to bring you."

"Oh, come on!" Dib shouted in frustration, "I kept him from destroying the earth, didn't I?"

"That was your ultimate goal? You're not very ambitious," Purple remarked, "Eh, I guess it's worth a try. I'll call Gaz and tell her to come over. Between the three of us we might be able to come up with a plan."

"That's the spirit!" Dib cheered.

"I'd better tell her to bring pizza," Purple added, "I thought I was gonna die, so I haven't eaten in at least an hour."

Dib facepalmed, but didn't argue. This had to be one of the craziest things Dib had done in a long time. He had spent his entire adolescence fighting off Irkens, and now he was going to help one return to power. He could tell though that with Purple back in charge at least the earth would be safe. Whether any other planets would be safe or not he didn't know, but sometimes you have to pick your battles.