Goodbyes
Zim lay face-down on the cafeteria table, sprawled out like a hungover college student. He simply didn't know what else to do. The stress of worrying over Tak was getting to him, and it was only a matter of time before his unborn smeet killed her from the inside out.
How can she be such a fool? he thought, tugging at the sides of his wig. Isn't she aware of the imminent danger?
He dangled his arms loosely over the edge of the table while his thoughts swirled about in a carousel of nightmares. He envisioned the smeet carving its way out of her like one of those horrifying, nightmarish films Gir loved to watch. Personally he too had enjoyed watching the humans suffer, their frail, useless bodies bursting open like some sort of overripe tomato, but the idea of the same thing happening to Tak sickened him to his core.
Why won't she just let me help her? he wallowed, groaning in misery. Why does she have to make everything so difficult?
Ever since their dispute in the lab, he had tried to plead for her forgiveness, but the stubborn female refused to listen. He tried talking to her through witty banter, but her attitude only grew more fickle by the day. She eventually resorted to locking herself in his labs, working hard to analyze her blood chemistry and monitor its composition to track the smeet's development. He tried convincing her to open the door so that he could help, but it was clear she wanted nothing to do with him.
He groaned and brought his hands to massage the sides of his temple. He knew she was making a point of it not to talk to him, and her inordinate stubbornness was starting to drive him insane. Time was of the essence, and there was no telling how long the smeet would remain dormant. Tak needed to return to Irk, and the trip alone would take at least several months.
He glanced over at Dib who was busy fiddling with some new contraptioncoHe was sitting next to him and as usual the human paid no attention to his obvious mopiness.
Raising a fistful of mashed potatoes, Zim glared at the human. He cocked his arm bitterly, hoping to aim directly for his stupid, massive, annoying head.
Dib recoiled when the mushy substance collided with his head. "Hey what was that for!?" he shouted, snapping back toward Zim.
The Irken simply scowled and turned his head away.
"Nothing," he muttered innocently.
Dib frowned in return. "Geez. What's your problem?" he asked, wiping away the mess with his coat sleeve. "You've been acting weird and mopey all morning. Did something happen between you and Tak?"
Humans. Always so intuitive.
Zim folded his arms stubbornly. "Nothing that is of concern to you Dib-stink," he grumbled, resting his chin on the table.
Dib raised an eyebrow at the behavior.
"Really? Nothing? Cuz it's not everyday you decide to randomly throw mashed potatoes at my face." He set the device down to look over at the Irken. "Did something happen between you and Tak? You know you can tell me right. Did you guys have a fight or something?"
Zim grumbled. "None of your business Dib-stink," he derided, turning away.
Understanding the Irken clearly didnt want to be bothered, Dib shrugged and went back to his work.
"Whatever," he said, tinkering with his device. "It's not like I need to know that bad anyway."
He continued working until a second helping made contact with his ear.
"Hey, quit it!"
Zim shrugged innocently. "I don't know what you are talking about Dib stink."
Dib wiped the mushy substance off his sleeve.
"Yes you do! You just threw another clump at my head!"
"You must be mistaken. I would never desecrate such a delicious ham-lobster."
"It's not ham-lobster! It's potatoes!"
"Pfft. What's the difference?"
Dib grit his teeth and glared at the Irken in contempt. He was about to teawaswhat a real food fight looked like when one of the kids stopped by at their table.
"Hey, what's up with Zim?" the child asked, giving the two of them a funny look. "He looks all mopey and sad-like."
Zim groaned and rolled over to the side.
Dib glanced over at him.
"He's uh, got a stomach ache," he replied, leaning back cooly so the kid could see him. "Still recovering from corn and mayonnaise day, you know."
"Ohhhhh." The child nodded his head and continued on his way.
Breathing a sigh of relief, Dib shot Zim a dirty look. "Hey, get up space boy! You and I aren't finished yet!"
Zim simply rolled over, not caring about the Dib human had to say.
"Why don't you go back to fiddling with your pathetic Earth device, stupid dirt-monkey," he complained, sounding a little bit like he was drunk. "You'll never get it to understand any language beyond your own anyway. You and that ouny brain of yours inside that GIGANTIC head."
Dib snorted. "Hmmf. Shows what you know Zim. I've already tested it with several languages and it's been working just fine. In a few days I should have it fully up and running."
Zim mumbled something offensive in his native tongue, and the device sent out a small spark. Dib to jumped from the quick shock.
"What's your problem space jerk?!" he shouted, snapping up from his seat.
The Irken laughed in amusement. "It's just entertaining to watch someone as pathetic as you struggle with such a simple device is all," he said flippantly.
Dib clenched his teeth, but held back his anger. As much as he wanted to tackle the little invader to the ground and beat him to a pulp, he knew it wouldn't do any good. Zim could easily recover from a beating, and his overgrown ego wouldn't falter in the slightest.
Doing his best to contain himself, the boy took a deep breath. He sat back down.
"Look, if you aren't going to help, then why don't you just go sit somewhere else?" he said calmly. "I'd rather have you gone than distracting me."
Zim glared menacingly back at the boy. "What do I look like human, a personal testing drone? Get your precious FATHER or someone else to help you fix it."
"Hey, you're the one who broke it in the first place! Maybe YOU should try and fix it."
"Pfft. As if I'd ever do anything like that Dib-beast."
"And why not?" Dib turned to face him. "If you're so advanced like you say you are Zim, then why don't you go ahead and prove it? If it's so easy for you, then why don't you take a look at it? Huh? Huh?"
Grumbling, Zim bibulously snatched the device. "Fine! If it will cease your incessant belly aching!" After providing some minor tweaks, and reassessing some calibrations, he tossed it back to the boy. "There. Now leave me alone to sulk in my misery."
After inspecting the changes, Dib held the device up.
"Wow, that was fast. You sure it will work?"
Zim scoffed. "Of course it will work stupid human. It was made by Zim!"
"Yeah, but that's kind of what I'm afraid of," said Dib, analyzing the translator. He looked back at the Irken. "Hey uh...are you okay?"
Zim grunted. "Does it look like I'm okay stink beast?!"
"Do you want to talk about it?"
"No."
Not expecting any less of an answer, Dib shook his head. "You know, you ARE acting a lot more mopey than usual," he said, hoping to pry some answers. "Does it have something to do with Tak?"
"I already told you stink beast, it's none of your business!"
"Well you made it my business the second you threw mashed potatoes at my head." He paused for a moment. "Did she try and kill you again?"
"No."
Zim grumbled and folded his arms over the table.
Dib tapped his chin. "Did you say something to insult her?"
"No stupid meat stink, now get away from me!"
"Did you accidently destroy her robot?"
"No."
"Did she take over your base?"
No."
Did she kick you out?"
"Don't be preposterous Earth filth. No one controls my base but me!"
"Did she dump you?"
"I-..."
Zim paused, realizing he didn't have an answer to that one.
"I...I don't know."
Dib watched as the Irken's mood shifted from hostile to depressed in a manner of seconds. He fell silent, wondering what the eccentric little alien could have done to make Tak so angry with him.
The chatter of the cafeteria continued to buzz around them while they sat together in silence. Dib thoight he felt the air slowly grow thicker, and he became more uncomfortable with the silence as it dragged on.
"Have you tried apologizing?" he asked, awkwardly, hoping to break the tension.
Zim lowered his head. "Tak will never forgive me for what I've done this time Dib-beast. Let's just leave it at that."
The urge to learn more grew stronger, but Dib reluctantly let it go. Suddenly he felt a vibrating sensation from his wrist.
It was his father.
he clixked to accept the call.
"Why hello son!" the professor greeted happily. "Sorry to bother you at school, but I just couldn't wait to see how the new invention was coming along! I cant tell you how excited I am that your finally using real science!"
Dib winced and glanced over at the smoldering device next to him.
"It's uh...going great Dad!" he lied, cracking in a fake smile. "I just need to work out a few more bugs and it will be ready by tonight!"
The professor beamed proudly. "Excellent! I knew I could count on you son. Be sure to bring it down to my workstation later. I want to be sure I can run it by my team of engineers!"
The professor ended the call and Dib slammed his head against the table.
"Great, now my dad expects me to have this thing up and running by tonight, and it isn't even CLOSE to being ready. What am I going to do?"
Zim turned to the boy a scowl. "What are you grumbling about human? The device works just fine. See for yourself."
Dib lifted his head. "Oh yeah? And what makes YOU so sure space boy?"
"Because," Zim sat up proudly. "I perfected it."
Dib huffed. "Hate to break it to you Zim, but most of your inventions don't always pan out the way you want them to. Even Tak said so herself."
Zim froze. He siddenly felt a hard lump form in his throat. "Tak said that?" he asked quietly.
Realizing he might have gone too far, Dib tried to cover up his slip.
"Uh, never mind. Look, what I meant to say was, how can you be so sure it will work if you aren't there to show me how?"
Zim attitude seemed perked up a bit at that.
"Hmm, I suppose you make a good point human." He tapped a claw against his chin. "Perhaps I could demonstrate my superior knowledge and engineering skills while you explain your invention to your father. It would be amusing to prove my superiority."
Dib groaned and rolled his eyes. "Whatever. As long as you let me finish this thing without any more distractions."
Later that evening, Dib led Zim down to his father's basement. They descended down the stairs, and he kept a close eye on the Irken.
He was still curious what could have put Zim in such a melancholy mood. More often than not, it had to do with a problem with Tak. But knowing Zim, he didn't exactly have the best track record when it came to caring about anyone else. The Irken was too conceited and wildly overconfident. Never in a million years would he admit any fault of his own or care about anyone else.
But then again, Tak isn't just anyone else, thought Dib, putting another spin on things. She is Irken, just like him, and appears to be a female of his kind. It would only make sense that Zim would have grown to care for her.
The young paranormal investigator watched from the corner of his eye as he began to wonder what was going through the alien's mind? He supposed he shouldn't be too surprised about Zim's meloncoly mood given that Tak obviously meant a lot to him. Perhaps this time really had screwed things up big time.
Choosing to ignore the pestering thoughts, Dib continued down the stairs. They approached the professor who was busy at his workstation.
"Ah! If it isn't my famous boy-child and his little green friend," said the man, turning to face them. "Nice to see you two!"
Not bothering to correct the statement about Zim being his friend, Dib approached his father.
"Hey Dad. I brought the invention like you asked. Do you still have a minute to look at it?"
"Why of course son!" he said proudly. "I always have a minute for you."
Dib winced, knowing full well he was only being so attentive because it was related to real science. He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out the translator.
The professor picked it up and studied it carefully. "Hmm. It certainly seems like a solid invention. How Does it work?"
Zim pushed his way forward. "I can answer that!"
The Irken quickly snatched the device and began showcasing it like a salesman at a car booth.
"You see, the mechanisms involved here simply intake the brainwaves of the listener and convert them into something comprehensible. It calibrates itself it to match the language of the speaker and behold, one highly functioning audio translator!"
The professor held up the invention as his goggles lit up with excitement.
"Marvelous! A truly revolutionary design! Looks like you two have done it again!"
Not wasting any time, he pressed a button on his shoulder and a cloud of smoke appeared in the room. Dib immediately covered his ears as a loud rumble above him caused him to look up. Suddenly, a part of the ceiling gave way and a young frightened intern unexpectedly dropped through a trapdoor.
"Scotty." The professor turned to the young man. "Take this to the lab and have the engineers get to work right away. It will make an excellent addition to our summer lineup."
Shaking from malnurishment and overly excited for the opportunity, the young man eagerly nodded.
"Y-yes professor! Right away!"
Dib scratched his head. "Wait, has that guy been living here the whole time?"
Ignoring the question, the professor waited for the young intern to clear the basement before turning back toward them.
"Well you two run along. I've got to manage these reactions before they get out of hand again. Cold fusion isn't going to invent itself you know!"
Taking the opportunity to get out while ahead, Dib nodded in agreement.
"Uh, right. Thanks Dad. See ya"
He headed back toward stairs and motioned for Zim to follow.
When they reached the living room, Dib fought back an extensive yawn.
"Well that went better than expected," he said tiredly, throwing his arms up in the air. After he got in a good stretch, he dropped them back to his sides. "Man I'm beat. I'm gonna head off to bed."
Zim chuckled. "You humans and your notion of sleep. It's a wonder your species ever gets anything done."
Dib rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Talk it up Space boy. Now get going." He guided the Irken to the door and then opened it up to the chilly night air.
Zim stepped out, but stopped a moment to look back at the boy.
"You know Dib, I must say, it was rather refreshing to receive credit for all my hard work today. Perhaps we could do this again sometime."
Dib's face suddenly morphed into a frown.
"Uh...you're hard work?" he asked disapprovingly. "You may have forgotten Zim, but I was the one who built the device in the first place."
"Oh please," said the Irken dismissively. "If it weren't for my necessary perfections, you'd be left to squander in your own miserable helplessness by now. You would have eventually begged for my amazing assistance."
Dib thrust a thumb into his chest. "Hey! I did most of the work on my own! It was MY idea and MY invention! All you did was tweak it a bit."
"Those tweaks were what allowed you to receive any credit at all human," Zim added, crossing his arms. "Without me, your invention would be as useless as a tomato in a haystack."
"It's needle in a haystack Zim, and we both know I would have figured it out eventually! I just needed more time."
"More time?" Zim scoffed. "Don't make me laugh Earth boy. Your puny, little monkey brain would have fumbled with it for decades before accomplishing anything. Your knowledge of its inner workings are far too limited to perfect such a device. It would sooner become a holiday ornament dangling from your already massive head than be used to unify your filthy race!"
"Puny brain?" Dib took a step forward. "Look who's talking Zim! You can't even remember how to use simple human analogies correctly!"
"A minor pitfall compared to the level of incompetency your species possess Dib-stink," Zim answered insultingly.
The boy leapt forward, gritting his teeth in frustration.
"Listen Zim. The only reason you and I are even standing here now is because WE made a deal. If I hadn't needed your help with the science project, I would have easily had your guts spewed all over an autopsy table."
Zim rolled his eyes. "This again? As if you'll ever capture me Dib-stink. You've tried dozens of times already."
The boy leaned in closer. "In case you've forgotten Zim, I'm the one who has been keeping your identity a secret this whole time. If I wanted to, I could have revealed you to the scientists in my dad's lab the moment we stepped foot in there!"
"Ha! That's rich coming from you!" returned Zim, shooting Dib an arrogant smirk. "As if you haven't been trying to defeat me from day one human. Try telling me something I don't know."
Din took another step forward. "Face it Zim, without me, you would have never made it out of my dad's lab alive!"
"And without me, your precious father would have never have granted you access to said lab in the first place!"
"I would have been allowed in eventually!" countered Dib, suddenly on the defensive. "Once my dad trusted me enough with the ways of science, I would have been given access to all the greatest technology in the world!"
"Pfft. Yeah right human. Like you'd ever be granted access to that."
"I already have!" Dib shouted in frustration. "Ugh. I knew bringing you in there was going to be a mistake. I should have exposed you when I had the chance!"
"Then it's a shame your inferior intellect didn't allow you to take advantage of the opportunity," Zim mocked, smiling crudely.
Dib's lifted his chin, his face red with anger. "You know what Zim? You're right. I've been stupid."
He approached the Irken assertively, his face only inches away.
"The deal is off. I'm going to expose you to the entire world for what you are, and when I do, everyone is going to treat me like a hero. I'll be the one who saved Earth while you'll be wishing you were never born."
Zim raised an eyebrow. "Is that so Dib human?"
He brought a hand forward and flicked the boy out of his face.
"You really think exposing me is going to change anything Dib? Look around you. You humans are so completely blind that even if you did manage to catch me, do you honestly think the rest of them would notice?"
Dib's brow furrowed. "Of course they'll notice! How could they not when I have a live alien standing right in front of them!?"
"Like they noticed with the giant weenie stand?" countered Zim."Or the time you were shot into a wormhole? You overestimate the intelligence of your own species Dib. You really think they care about you? You and I both know they would lose interest within a week."
"You're wrong!"
Dib's face was now flushed with dark shade of red.
"They will see you for the monster you really are Zim! They'll realize I've been right all along!"
Zim scoffed. "Don't lie to yourself Earth stink. Once the novelty runs out, they will go right back to doing what they did before. You know it to be true."
"Then maybe I need to capture two aliens to make them understand," said Dib sardonically. "What do you think of that Zim?"
Zim's eyes narrowed crudely, and he watched as Dib reached into his coat pocket ro pull out the old pair of alien hand cuffs.
The Irken's blood ran cold.
"You...you were carrying those around this whole time?" he stuttered, staring at the cuffs in disbelief.
Dib sneered darkly. "You can never be too careful when dealing with an evil space monster."
Zim glared back scornfully. "You despicable human," he spat, taking a step back. "I knew you couldn't be trusted. I should have never let you step foot inside my base and killed you when I had the chance!"
"Then it's a shame your inferior intellect didn't allow you to take advantage of the opportunity," Dib mocked back.
Zim scowled and stared down his rival in disgust. The tension between them only escalated as they sized each other up.
He started to think over the scenario, and whether or not Dib would actually be headstrong enough to follow through. Would he be despicable enough to target Tak as well? She was still back at the base completely unaware. If he left now, maybe he could warn her before it was too late.
"This is a waste of time," said Zim, turning to take his leave. "I'm going home."
Dib's nostrils flared as the Irken walked away. "So that's it then? You're just going to turn tail and run?"
Zim ignored him and continued on.
Dib huffed. "You coward! Well then I think it's obvious then who the superior being is here! You just wait and see Zim! I'll show you. I'll show everyone! I'll prove to them who you really are and reveal your true identity to the entire world! Muahahahaha."
Zim kept marching, doing his best to ignore his enemy's maniacal laughter as he ventured further and further from the house.
Back at the base
Well then maybe I just need two aliens to make them understand.
Zim struggled to focus on the repairs of the Voot, but Dib's horrible laughter continued to ring in his head. He wondered if the boy was serious, if he really would go after Tak. It seemed almost suicidal. but possible given all that's happened between them. Annoyingly the thought had always been in the back of his mind. He knew as an invader, he was willingly putting himself in harms way every time he was around the human, but Tak had never been a part of that equation. Not until now.
What would happen to her if he got caught?
What would happen to the smeet?
He grumbled and forcefully twisted the loose components to the Voot.
"Stupid, inconceivable, dirt weasel. He should know better than to test my patience."
He twisted a few more knobs before the sound of approaching footsteps caught his attention.
"I see you're planning on taking off somewhere," Tak interrupted, eyeing him coldly. Her tone was lucid and she was clearly speaking in a rhetorical manner.
Zim turned around, bbut he wasn't happy to see her. Part of him was relieved to hear her speaking to him again, but he was also in a rather fowl mood. He wanted nothing to do with a fight right now, and it looked like she was prying for one.
"Tak! I'm glad you're here!" he stood up, approaching her rather callously. "As you can see, I've been adding some calibrations to the Voot. You are going to need them if you are to make it back to Irk."
"To Irk?"
She turned to glance up at the ship.
"You expect me to fly to Irk? In THAT?"
Already irritated from the day's events, Zim felt his antennae twitch at the insult.
"You will find my ship perfectly capable of making the journey on its own," he coutnered, trying to ignore the remark. "Despite what you may think of my engineering skills, I have taken every precaution to ensure you reach your destination safely. I assumed you would be grateful."
"Grateful!? Tak stepped forward. "GRATEFUL!?"
She immediately grabbed the cuff of his uniform and brought his face within inches of her own.
"You ruin my life TWICE, impregnate me with your REPUGNANT smeet, and then say I should be GRATEFUL!? What makes you think I would EVER thank the likes of YOU?!"
Zim heard Dib's words echo in the back of his mind.
Most of your inventions don't always pan out the way you want them to. Even Tak said so herself.
Before he could say anything in return, she shoved him away forcefully.
"The only one who should be GRATEFUL around here is you Zim! Grateful that I haven't KILLED you and gutted your carcass while your back was turned!"
Zim scoffed. "We both know that won't happen Tak," he returned, confident enough to call her bluff. "You've already tried twice and failed. Remember?"
Shocked by his remark, Tak froze where she stood and scowled.
"Then maybe I'll just pulverize you within an inch of your life," she said, throwing a claw forward. "How does that sound?"
Staring straight into her angry gaze, Zim held his ground. For once, he wasn't afraid of her threats. She was in no position to turn down his help, and he was in no mood to argue with her. This was just as much her fault as it was his, and he was not going to back down.
Not this time.
He brushed past her and went back to his work, leaving her to fume in contempt.
"What's gotten into you?" she spat, attempting to burn a hole through the back of his head. He remained silent while she stepped forward to face him again. "You've got some nerve expecting me to forgive you. Especially after all you've done. What makes you think I would so willingly depart in your filth-heap of a ship anyway?"
He didn't look up at her, but simply continued working. "It's either my ship or suffer a horrifying death. Your choice."
He expected her to say something back, to fire upon him with a barrage of insults, but instead she only stared back at him maliciously.
He watched as she took a few steps forward, flinching a little as she brushed past him. She seemed to be masking some other underlying emotion, one that he couldn't quite make out.
Approaching the Voot in silence, she created a spot for herself to work, and then without asking permission, she reached into the interface and began rewiring some of the components.
"Hey! What are you-?"
He reached forward to take control, but she stopped him by grabbing his wrist.
"No. See that wire?" she said, her voice surpringly calm. "Connect that over there."
He stared at her perplexed as he allowed her claws to guide him carefully to the correct location. He felt his anger melt away as they worked, giving way to confusion. Even in his fowl mood, her mere presence seemed to calm him down.
He watched her work, slowly realizing the mistakes she was trying to correct. She was making the circuitry more efficient, and once again he became mesmerized by her vast knowledge of a ship's inner workings.
Once the upgrades were complete, she stepped back to admire her work.
"There," she said, dusting her hands off. "That should improve functionalities for half the trip at least."
Zim looked back at her, bewildered by her ability to mask her vehemence so quickly. He watched as she made her way to the front of the ship, ignoring his presence.
"Tak?" he asked approaching her cautiously.
She ignored him and continued working.
He tapped his claws against the metal console. "About the smeet..."
He hoped to at least get her attention. "I still think it's best if you return to Irk. It ensures the greatest chance of survival."
There was still no response
Feeling uneasy, he rested his hand against the control panel. He wasn't sure if apologizing would make much difference, but it was clear she was still angry with him. He hadn't meant for his words to sound so harsh, or to say them so dismissively, but the quiescent silence that followed indicated that they had made a significant impact.
Letting out a strong exhale, he dropped his gaze to the ground.
"Tak, I just wanted to do what is best for you and for the smeet. I didn't mean to insult you. If you would prefer to distance yourself from me from this point on, I will understand."
He dropped his hand from its resting place and dragged his feet toward the exit. He only made it about halfway before her voice stopped him suddenly.
"Zim. Wait."
He turned back around, watching as she let out a long, heavy sigh.
"Just sit with me a moment. Please?"
He did as she asked and while still avoiding her gaze, he approached her calmly.
She rested her hands in her lap as she sat down.
"Zim, what do you think will happen once I get back to Irk?" she asked, not looking him in the eye.
He cocked his head in confusion.
"What do you mean? You will seek out an Irken hatchling facility, will you not? You will have the smeet removed and thdn safely return to Earth."
"And what if the Armada shoots me down the moment I arrive?"
She looked up at him, her nervous purple eyes meeting his red curious ones.
"What if, because I'm in YOUR ship," she continued, "they blow me out of the sky before I have a chance to tell them about the smeet. What if because they think YOU'RE alive, they don't give me access to the planet at all?"
Zim brought his claw to his chin. Hmm.
He hadn't considered the risk of her being denied access, or being killed. He supposed it was possible given the fact that his biosignature was supposed to be nowhere near their home world. And what of the smeet? Would its DNA trigger some sort of warning?
He continued to stare at the ground while a cocktail of possibilities swirled about in his head. He knew there was still one other solution, but he wasn't sure how she would take it. Or what the consequences would be when she found out.
"Tak, what if I told you using my ship wasn't the only option?" he asked, preparing for the beating that would inevitably come.
She looked over at him curiously.
"What if I told you there was another way to get to Irk?"
Zim piloted the Voot down the many neighborhood streets before landing outside of a familiar suburban house. The outside was quiet, and the two of them stepped out into the chilly night air after the hatch hissed open.
"What are we doing here?" asked Tak, looking around the area. It appeared to be a typical Earth neighborhood, and not one that held any great significance.
Without answering, Zim trotted up to the house's garage and using a special device, pried it open just enough for the two of them slip through. Tak followed him in with Mimi close behind, and she watched him curiously as he slugged though the various piles of junk to clear a path to a large, blue tarp. It seemed to be covering something large and oval shaped, and her rate increased when she realized what it might be.
Zim dug his claws into the soft fabric and tugged on it, hard. It gave way and collapsed to the floor, revealing none other than her long lost spaceship.
"My ship?" she exclaimed, dashing over to it. She ran her hand along its outer shell. "But how-? How did you-?"
"The Dib human recovered it shortly after our first battle on Earth," Zim explained, striding his way over to her. "He has been working to repair it ever since. And has been failing horribly. I tired stealing it back a few times, but the accursed personality interface turned out to be more of a nuisance than it was worth."
She was about to question why he didn't bring it up sooner, but the ship's inner components suddenly came to life.
"I thought I told you not to disturb me you filthy sack of-! Oh wait, it's you..."
Tak took a step back as the ship's cabin lit up.
"Finally! I thought this day would never come!" it shouted, its orange and yellow hues filling up the cabin. "My rightful owner has returned to me! No more squandering in this pitiful nightmare. No more taxing around those two half-minded fools. Please, take me of this wretched planet as soon as possible!"
Tak was about to say something to the ship, but it noticed the infamous Irken standing next to her.
"YOU!"
Lifting its pincher high in the air, its tone quickly changed and its inner lighting began to glow a menacing red. It cast a strike at the terrified Irken, but ended up slamming against pure concrete.
Zim continued to leap out of the way, narrowly dodging the blows one by one.
"Hold still so I can show you what color your insides are!" the ship shouted, continuing to strike again and again.
Zim kept leaping until beads of sweat dripped down his neck. He only barely managing to dodge each attack before the next one fired down on him. Eventually Tak stepped between them, causing the ship to freeze mid-strike.
"Wha-? What are you- ?"
It looked down at her flabbergasted.
"Get out of the way! Let me clobber him so I can turn him into goo!"
Tak stood calmly between them, purposely shielding Zim from the ship.
"Stand down," she ordered boldly.
The ship did as it was told, but stared at her confused. "I- I do not understand," it answered, its pinchers lowering slowly. "The real Tak would never squander the perfect opportunity to extract revenge on that loathsome insect! Who are you and what have you done with my master!?"
"I AM the real Tak," said Tak, folding her arms sternly. "And trust me, it's a long story."
Taking a moment to process things through, the ship powered down reluctantly. It allowed her to approach, opening the main hatch as she stepped forward.
There was a brief second of hesitation before Tak hopped into the pilot's seat. She stared at the controls, unsure how the ship would react when she tried to take control.
"Are all the guidance systems functioning properly?" she asked, still looking everything over.
The ship responded sternly. "Affirmative. That filthy sack of a human meat and his younger sibling managed to repair MOST of my systems. I suppose I owe them a bit of gratitude for that."
While she mustered up the courage to hop in, Zim approached the ship.
"So I guess...this is it?" he stated sadly, resting his hand along the outer rim of the dashboard. He flinched involuntarily as the ship shook him off in disgust.
Tak turned around and stared back at him sadly. She knew that this was goodbye, probably for good, and the fact that he too must have figured that out by now.
"I wouldn't leave if I had a choice," she added sympathetically, hoping to ease some of his pain.
He lowered his eyes to the ground. "I know," he said, resisting the urge to take her in his arms. "I just wish I could do something else to help."
Feeling sorry for him, Tak stepped forward and placed a hand under his chin. "You've done enough," she said softly, bringing his eyes level with her own.
His expression faltered as her hand fall away.
She looked back at him half-heartedly.
"It's true I may not be ready to fully forgive you," she started, feeling the guilt rise as she managed to get the words out, "but please do not mistake my hostility for animosity Zim. You have shown me there are more important things than holding on to the past. And for that, I am grateful."
She leaned forward and gave him one small peck on his forehead. At the same time he dug his claws into the elastic of her gloves.
He felt like she was going to be ripped away from him any minute, like she was going somewhere far away from his grasp, probably to where he would never see her again. He knew this was the last time he would ever hold her, and he wasn't about to let her go so easily.
"Will you be alright on your own?" he asked stupidly, realizing the question probably sounded just as dumb coming out of his mouth as it did in his head.
She looked at him sarcastically. "I've managed most of my life on my own," she said, giving him a smug look. "I think I'll be just fine."
He bowed his head shamefully and there was a long pause before he spoke again.
"Tak...I'm... I'm so sorr-"
He never got to finish his apology, because in that moment, the unexpected contact from her lips silenced him before he spoke.
Feeling his emotions go wild, Zim gradually relaxed his grip as he allowed himself to ease into the sensation of comfort. She was kissing him so tenderly, and not in a way he had ever experienced before. It was subtle, but almost desperate, like she was communicating her final goodbyes to him. He could feel the level of sorrow behind it, and anguish she was trying to convey.
He wondered for a moment if she could sense the same from him.
After ending the kiss, they eventually broke apart, and he looked up to her one last time.
"I'm sorry you never got your revenge," he said somewhat jokingly.
Shaking her head, Tak chuckled in response.
"Oh Zim, don't you remember?" she asked, causing his head to tilt in confusion.
He stared at her blankly.
She smiled. "It was never about revenge."
The ship shifted back and forth between them, trying to figure out what was going on.
"I am utterly confused," it said confoundingly.
With a final peck to his forehead, Tak parted from his touch and hopped up into the pilot's seat where she prepared herself for her final goodbye. She smiled and called after Mimi, the little robot hopping in beside her on command.
Zim watched sadly as she closed the hatched. The ship backed out of the garage and hovered only inches above the ground. He saw her stare back at him one last time through the transparency of the cockpit, and could tell she was just as torn up about leaving as he was. But it was for the best. Irk would have what she needed, and he had given her the best chance for survival that he possibly could.
He stood there as the ship ascended and disappeared into the night sky, zipping away in the blink of an eye. It flew far out of reach until all that could be seen was a tiny speck. It blinked away as the light escaped with it, and Zim continued to stare up at the stars, even well after it was gone.
Eventually, he turned and headed back to his Voot.
Meanwhile
Dib shot up from his bed, still covered in a sweat.
A dream? Had it only been a dream?
Fearing the worst, he immediately kicked off the covers and made a mad dash for the stairs.
No. It couldn't be. It still has to be there!
He rushed to the garage, hoping to find Tak's ship right where he'd left it. He had heard the sounds of it taking off in his sleep, but had no proof that the real thing actually happened.
It has to be there! It just has to!
Fearing the worst, he thrust open the door and waded through the heavy bog of items to where the ship was usually hidden under the tarp. But to his surprise, the familiar blue covering was no where to be found.
He looked around in a panic.
When he finally located it he felt his heart sink. It was crumpled up in a pile, and cast aside onto the cold cement floor.
He growled through his teeth.
"That's it Zim. You want a war? You've finally got one space jerk."
Author's Note: Wow! I guess all I can say is I've REALLY been slacking. It's been what? Almost six months since I last posted? Once again I apologize for the delay, but I wanted to make sure to get things right with this one. When getting to such a pivotal turning point in the story, I like to take a step back, take my time, and make sure the pieces are all falling right where they should be. I didn't want anything here to feel too rushed or too unrealistic for the situation, so I did my best to keep everyone in character as much as possible. I may go back in an add some more detail here and there, but for now I feel it was good enough to let off the leash. Hope you guys like it! Also let me know what you think and if you happen to spot any typos.
