"Zim will end you!" Zim hissed at Dib, his face displeased with the human's actions. This was not the time nor place to inform the galaxy's most ruthless leaders of the current situation. It might still be possible to hide it, after all.

One of the rulers was quick to answer, albeit he was only partially clothed in a robe and covered in a gleaming layer of sweat.

Dib, who had before insisted on disclosing Zim's pregnancy as soon as possible, made quick work of doing so, leaving no detailuntold.

"You're WHAT?" Purple exclaimed, his face flushing blue. Zim had never seen such a look of shock on his Tallest's face before, despite his tendency to disagree with and sass his co-leader. He wasn't even sure what to say, let alone greet them properly. It was the DIB'S idea to call them, not Zim's. That much should be clear.

Purple was flushed with what appeared to be embarrassment.

Zim didn't have time to reflect upon his anger towards the being that impregnated him. All he could do in this moment was tremble quietly in fear. On top of that, he was just dealing with Purple at the moment, who was notoriously lenient with criminals he deemed attractive or funny enough to let survive. Red would surely snap, his temper flaring hot enough at Zim to nearly melt him into a puddle.

It was him that Zim had no desire whatsoever to see, let alone talk to.

"I...uh...I..." Zim couldn't speak a single word. He couldn't even begin to think of an excuse, even given his SUPERIOR skill of lying to a hostile's face. He knew he needed to come up with something, though, and fast. He was frozen in sheer terror, the enormity of the situation overtaking the desire to defend himself.

The only thing racing through his mind was numerous visions of Redand his viciously disreputable anger. Thatparticular Tallest was a murderer, and everyone in the Armada knew it, and better yet, knew not to say a word.

It was well known he was brutal, unforgiving. Zim vividly remembered his ability to harden his heart against enemies to himself or the Armada to be incredibly useful.

He had never been the type to forgive easily, let alone at all. Especially with Zim. It was this fact that scared him the most.

"Well?" Purple demanded, his tone becoming louder and more upset with every passing moment. He would surely attract the attention of Red at this rate.

"M..My Tallest, I..I can assure you there's a…a logical explanation for…"

Luckily, Zim didn't get a chance to finish. Red's voice shrieked and echoed over the call, and most likely throughout Purple's…quarters? Why would both Tallests dwell within the same room? The realization crept up on Zim slowly.

"NOW!" Red yelled, his anger nearly tangible through the tension now painfully present. Red's hand flickered into the frame for a split second, his fingers curling around something below the view of the screen. Purple made a small sound, but abruptly ended the call. Zim completely made sense of the situation. He was horrified, due to both having escaped the situation (for now), and realized the new relationship of his idols.

(A/N: If you'd like to see this spicy scene, please check out my other work, To Take and To Give.Technically, it's a standalone work, but it fits in rather nicely with this universe's dynamic.)

His attentions returned once more to Dib, who had positioned himself in a chair to protect his organs. It infuriated Zim.

"Zim cares not for your weak spooch! You have just exposed the scandal of the century!"

Dib was taken aback.

"Oh no! No, no no. YOU'RE the one in this mess! You're the one who didn't take fucking suppressants, which I don't know much about, but am at least smart enough to figure out!"

Zim narrowed his eyes. Though the human was technically right, it didn't excuse his intrusion into Zim's base. It also didn't excuse the absolute pleasure he inflicted on the smaller, but that was less important to Zim at the moment.

"You do NOT understand, Dib-thing! You will be killed! This entire planet blasted to nothing!" Zim was insistent, his shouting growing louder and his face becoming more hostile.

"No, Zim! You don't get it! This is both of our faults! You don't just get to, like, put ALL the blame on me!"

Zim lashed out at Dib, his claws catching on his skin and tearing its surface.

"Zim told you to leave, stupid human-monkey…thing!" Zim shrieked, his anger mounting.

"Maybe you should have triedto take over this planet to begin with!" Dib regretted his words immediately. Zim had stopped yelling and had turned away from Zim. Though he didn't say anything, Dib knew he had struck a nerve.

"Look. What were you going to do anyways? Keep it a secret forever?" Dib tried to console him, but with little result. Zim had instead dropped his argument and was quiet. He desperately wanted to try to change the subject.

"Did you have any plan at all?"

Zim only nodded once in reply. Dib was suddenly curious, but not surprised, considering he planned for every event he could think of.

"What wereyou going to do? Surely they…they would find out? At some point?"

The alien was still quiet. A feeling of dread balled itself in Dib's stomach. He approached him slowly, laying a hand on his shoulder. He felt the smallest, most miniscule movement, followed by a sniff.

And then it happened again. And again. And it was with great upset and great sadness that Dib realized Zim was, quite literally, distressed. Not distressed in the sense he was angry, but that he was actually crying.

In that moment, Dib's heart broke, despite all the negative things that the Armada could bring upon Earth. It didn't seem to matter then.

Zim swallowed once, composing himself enough to face another living being.

"I…" He couldn't find words to explain what he wanted to say. Well, he knew, but he couldn't manage to force them out in a way that would make sense. Damn the human's language and its limits!

"I…I don't want it."

If Dib wasn't horrified before, he sure was now. He recoiled, the shock of Zim's statement powerful, but the absolute truth. He knew it too.

"But…but why?"

Zim was still quiet, his knees drawn to his chest defensively.

"Zim…does not know how it will develop. It…it might be…volatile."

Dib was confused. It was what?

Zim picked up quickly on his unease. How exactly, Dib wasn't sure.

"It…it might…exit violently, upon term completion." Zim paled, the fear he felt making itself apparent in his voice, which was uncharacteristically shaky.

Dib knew.It was a terrifying concept.

"The…the Irken instinct is impossible to bury. My people have worked tirelessly for eons to eliminate it from our genetic pool. It has not been successful."

Dib was incredibly curious now. Zim wasn't the type to open up often.