Being Tall Isn't Everything

by P.A.W.07

Zim was about to destroy the world, his dying adversary at his feet … yet he doesn't kill Dib. He wants to use that cunningly huge head of his, especially now that they are both so tall. Now, years later, the newest Tallest finds himself in a web of secrets, the past and the future seemingly tearing him apart. As usual ... this is all Zim's fault.

6. Father of Mine

Chapter 6: Father of Mine

Professor Membrane, Commander Membrane now, still had dreams about his lost son.

It was like a ghost that would rise to the surface whenever his mind wished to rest and slumber. Membrane couldn't rest much anymore, so why should he allow the murderer of his first born rest? The only time he would be able to allow his head to fall upon his pillow in complete contentment was when he killed that monster. He would never rest until he killed ZIM.

Oh Chemistry, how he hated that name. Once upon a time, on a planet long since lost, that name would bring a small chuckle or a smile behind his collar. Zim had been his son's strange 'alien' friend. It had seemed like an odd friendship with those two constantly playing spy games and war, but Dib seemed somewhat content. At the time, Membrane was sad to admit that he was rather disappointed in the choices of his son. He didn't mind Dib's new friend in the purpose of being a friend, but it bothered him that his son's little friend seemed to be dragging his boy farther and farther from science.

Yes, then there was science.

It was funny really, that once he lost his son, just how illogical the whole logic of science seemed. It was then in the rain of fire, screams of the dying and conquered, that he realized just who he was creating all this science for. At first it had been for himself but later on it seemed for his children's' sake. He wanted them to have a future … He wasn't sure how else to express his feelings to them. He had always been a person of beakers and formulas, to extract that same feeling but onto a person, he wasn't exactly sure as how to do that. There were no natural undeniable laws, no recipes, no positive yeses or noes … just a whole lot of maybes. It was by a pure miracle that the two children were created at all.

Though, it seemed that he had failed in that matter just like one would fail in letting an experiment set unattended. Sooner or later the beaker would grow hot and break or the contents would explode. He should have been paying attention to his family. It was his greatest experiment: it was his life.

So, despite losing Earth, nothing had affected him more than finding out that his son had not gotten onto one of the evacuation ships.

He didn't remember much after finding that out, but one of his assistance told him, in a shivering voice, what he had done. Apparently, Membrane had been silent for a long time after the news, his breathing slow and barely audible. Then, with a rage he tried to escape to one of the smaller ships onboard, crying they were wrong, that his son was resilient, and that his boy wasn't dead. Dib couldn't be dead … sons were supposed to bury their fathers.

Membrane did recall coming to, out of his temporary madness, a few days later, strapped to a medical bed like some kind of mad dog. For a few minutes he just laid there, jacket and goggles removed and leaving him barren and wide open for all to see. His eyes were dull as he tried to think of why he was here in this bunk. Yet, while his mind tried to come up with the calculations or formulas as to why he was in this bed, the patter of petite feet made him drag his half glazed brown eyes towards the ghost lingering at his side.

"Hi dad."

The man blinked, not use to the world without viewing it through his goggles, and the blurry form of his son disappeared into the form of his daughter within a second. For a moment he stared at her. For some reason all he could do was watch her, his lips unresponsive.

"You know," said the girl as she stood there, her usual angry demure lost to redden eyes as if maybe she had been sad. Wait? What? He didn't know his daughter very well, but he did know she didn't cry. Even when she was a baby she hadn't cried.

"I never noticed … that you cared. I mean actually cared. It just seemed more like we were item and that we meant little to you. We were just your cute toys to drag out to your big openings. I was so desperate for you attention, to know that you cared, that I started to act out … I became cold. You know what, father. I started to believe that you didn't know how to love or what love was and that I should act the same way. But when you acted that way for Dib … I … I-"

A tear rolled down her face and the girl quickly dropped her head in order to hide any essence of her emotions. Her small hands – hands like her mother he noticed now that she was getting older - were quickly pulled into fists of shivering rage.

"Father … do I have to die like Dib for you to show me any love?!"

She had disappeared out of the room before his lips even dared to move.

That had seemed like years now since his daughter had cried. He did what he could for her, but in the end it always felt like an obligation to Dib more than anything. He could barely look at his only child without the memory of his son returning. There was a hole in his heart. He had learned to love only as soon as it was able to hurt.

He wanted to give a hole to Zim's heart so they could match, both broken monsters.

But, Invader's didn't love or have family. For the longest time the Professor wavered as the small hoard of surviving ships struggled to find a new home. It was then, when madness threatened to consume him, that he realized that Zim didn't need to have a heart to hurt him. An Invader's love lied in his kingdom.

So he'd burn it down.

And that worked for a while, but it seemed that Zim did have a heart, his partner: Blue. In fact, the entire Empire loved their dearest Blue if they knew it or not. That was why, when a spy said that they had seen Tallest Zim wandering the alleys of Planet Dirt, that he knew he had his chance. The Irkens would feel their very first sorrow and how truly bitter it would be.

"Tallest Blue," came Membrane's voice as he struggled not to grin with satisfaction, his thirst about to be quenched. "I don't believe I've had the pleasure. My name is Professor Membrane … and I'm going to kill you."

…

Blue wanted to draw back in a growl of surprise, yet he found himself still, gawking. His eyes widened another inch, something slamming in the back of his mind telling him to look, look, see, see! What was he supposed to see? What was he supposed to see?

"Not the conversation type, are we, Tallest Blue?" said Professor Membrane as he leaned back into his chair, his goggles glinting even though most of his form was now hidden in shadows. "I must admit I'm surprised. You seem to be nothing like Zim. He would have been in a fit if I was so forward with him, hitting buttons wherever he may, but you … you are the calm silent type. I respect that."

Blue tried to pull his mind to the present even though it was practically screaming at him to remember, remember, remember! Ugh, remember what?

"But," continued Membrane as he moved his finger towards a button to his side. "I'm still going to kill you."

A wicked laugh escaped the attacker's throat as his finger fell upon the button, the ship in the background seeming to rock from the very action. Then, in a cause and effect, a ray of light which resembled a waking star formed in front of the ship. The Ark's back engines suddenly kicked in and for a second the pilot's cried, 'He's going to ram us!' but just the opposite happened. The light was a canon, an electromagnetic canon, which nearly sent the ship sailing backwards in a backlash.

"It's an electromagnetic pulse!" cried Sizz-Lorr to everyone in the room. "Turn off your paks! Tell everyone to turn off their paks before it hits us! The pak will die if it's online!"

Screams of panic and stumbling feet filled the room as each member stopped what they were doing to try and assist other members offline their paks. Blue merely stood there, eyes wide as he watched panic and teamwork overtake his bridge. A what? Turn off his pak? Blue didn't remember a lot of his earlier days, but he knew the 'ten minutes of doom' rule as Zim called it. An invader did not just 'turn off their pak' unless they had some kind of death wish. Yet, here were most of the members of his bridge turning off their life source. This was utter madness. True, Blue had just heard of this enemy but could they truly be so frightful that his soldier's obeyed without question.

"My Tallest," came Sizz-Lorr's voice, dragging the leader from his frozen state by grabbing Blue's arm, pulling him towards himself. "Hold still. I'll get your pak for you."

There wasn't even time to disagree as the large alien's hand slid onto Blue's pak with far too much ease letting the taller Irken know that the General had pulled off this action far too many times. Not that Blue really got to think about it when his body was suddenly slammed into self-sufficiency, his knees collapsing from the sudden stress. Sizz-Lorr didn't miss a beat as he fell with his leader into a crouch, placing himself as a living shield over his master in order to protect the leader from the shock of the coming hit. After all, what use was an energy shield against a weapon which shorted out the technology that created the shield? Not much, Sizz-Lorr knew from experience. The first time that human had used that weapon … his forces had been devastated and he nearly died.

When the attack finally hit home base, the impact made the entire ship shiver, electricity suddenly jumping throughout the entire ship's form like an electric blue flood. Then, as if a sonic boom had befallen the inner guts of the ships, almost every piece of glass, consuls and lighting, exploded from the sudden surge of energy … and the ship went dark, the darkness consuming every being within.

For a moment, Blue didn't do anything. He was just still with his lungs struggling to work on their own. The silence didn't last long though, soon commands were erupting from the pilots' den, and the medical drones were rising to their feet and running to other Irken's throughout the base that hadn't been able to turn off their pak's fast enough. And then there was this warmth that dripped down onto Dib's arm that made his eyes snap open and look. With the help of the emergency light he could see that there was blood dripping down from above. With a grunt, Blue was about to push the larger being off and see if he was killed in action, protecting his lord. Surprisingly, the mountain moved of its own accord and the sound of shifting glass soon filled Blue's ears as the bulky form that had been protecting him rose out of the shielding ball, his eyes scanning the room before he looked back down at Blue to see if his leader had been injured. Sizz-Lorr's eyes widened when he saw the blood staining his Tallest's robes.

"Were you injured? Remain still, I will get a medical drone," said Sizz-Lorr in almost a panic as he tried to rise to his feet.

Blue merely put out a hand, stopping the bulky Irken.

"I'm fine. It's your blood," said Blue as he stared at the blood dripping down the side of Sizz-Lorr's head. He even took his hand and was about to touch the other's wound to see its depth when the larger being rose to his feet with a look that could be compared to little more than embarrassment, shaking his head at the other's offer at help.

Blue merely nodded at the action and took a shivering breath with his weak lungs, glad one of his best Generals wasn't dead. That worry gone, he had a new problem: control the chaos. Placing his hands so that he could lift himself up without getting cut since there was no way his hoover-belt would work without a reboot, Blue started to rise to his feet and full stance, only to be overcome by dizziness.

Quickly noticing his leader's distress, Sizz-Lorr put out a hand to still the leader and stop him from falling on his face. He had seen the reaction far too many times not to expect it. Off lining pak's could be a very disorienting process. Gripping his Tallest's thin arm, Sizz-Lorr then proceeded in helping his tall leader to his chair, stopping to push the glass off the seat before allowing his commanding officer to sit.

Blue sat there a moment, his breath coming in shallow gasps as he gripped the chair arm tightly to stop himself from falling out. His head seemed to be pounding and the ship seemed to be spinning. The halfling couldn't help but bring a clawed hand up to his forehead and try to rub away this new growing agony. Irk, he felt like he was going to puke.

"Sit for a moment, my Tallest. The first time an Irken off-lines their paks it can be … disorienting, especially for someone of your size. Smaller Invader's systems have less mass to deal with so their systems aren't as dependent on their paks," said Sizz-Lorr as he stood over a pained Blue for a moment, trying to wipe some blood out of his eyes as he looked over this lord once more to make sure the only true distress was from turning off his pak. "Just bear with us since there are still residual remnants of that blast bouncing around in the ship, we can't turn our paks on for at least five minutes."

Blue struggled to listen to the high officer's words and to push back this buzzing that had formed in his ears.

"Yes, yes. Start a status report – ugh – and have every available hand getting us operational. Anyone who didn't manage to offline there pak should report to the medical bay immediately. I don't want my medical drones spread out. I also want that–that man. Professor Membrane. I want him captured, preferably alive. He will pay for this personally."

Blue then allowed a pained hiss to come through his lips as that name bounced around in his head, the buzzing all but exploding in his head. Images suddenly slamming into his head making the leader clutch his head as something flashed before him.

"Dad? Can you leave the lab for a moment? I want to play like the other kids and their dads."

A glint of goggles suddenly looked downward.

"Sorry son, SCIENCE comes first. Maybe later."

Blue all but lurched forward when the memory was complete, clutching his head with such ferocity with both of his hands that he was drawing blood with his claws.

"My Tallest, are you alright?" came Ta-boo as he appeared in Blue's downcast vision, the smaller Irken's breath coming in short gasps as he struggled to work without his pak's assistance. He had been heading to the pilots' den since he had significant knowledge in that field, but it was hard not to notice his Tallest's suffering. His Tallest came before the ship's needs. There were enough pilots anyway.

"Yes, I'm … fine," gasped the Irken leader as blood started to drip past his cheek from his head, his nails cutting into his skin. "It's just that my head is hurting me something awful. J-just follow the directive. I-I'll be fine for the time being."

"Yes, sir," said the small Advisor reluctantly as he rushed off, stumbling on his own robes in a hurry to assist the pilots' den, his gaze threatening to fall back towards the kinder of his two rulers.

"Are you sure, my Tallest," said Sizz-Lorr as he leaned down slightly, a nervousness rising in his chest. Tallest Blue seemed to be in a lot of agony, his head to be exact. Now, Zim had never come out and said it, but with him fishing around in Blue's pak whenever Dib made himself known, Sizz-Lorr had a feeling that Blue's pak was what was keeping Dib from reemerging. But what choice did he have? Was he supposed to allow his Tallest to die? Zim would rather have to deal with a hysterical Dib and suspicious crew than have a dead Blue, right? Besides, in five minutes the pak would be switched back on and everything would be okay … right? Ugh, five minutes wasn't coming fast enough.

"Yes, I'm fine!" Blue all but snapped at the other as he turned to glare at him, his green blood now dripping onto his Tallest robes. "Now act like the General you are and tell me the fastest way to kill or capture that bastard."

Sizz-Lorr drew back slightly, not shocked about being snapped at, but the fact that Blue just used a human cuss word. Irk, not good. What was he supposed to do? Should he turn Blue's pak back on and risk it, or should he call Zim? What was he supposed to –

"Just don't stand there," said Blue, now staring up at the standing being, "get moving."

Sizz-Lorr blinked, his insides trembling as he turned to the pilots' den. He was nervous for a moment. Any other Tallest would be embarrassed if anyone other than them yelled out demands about the ship's controls. Yet, here was Blue, his pride not even noted. The halfling was making a personal sacrifice. He wasn't doing this for himself, but he was defending the people on this ship.

Yet another reason to be glad for Blue instead of just Zim.

Swallowing his worry, Sizz-Lorr threw a hand out and started calling commands out as if it were his own ship and it was any other battle with the Ark. Only this time he had some huge guns and his Tallest was sitting next to him. He wouldn't dare take an eye off his leader, especially with the way the other was clutching at his head as if in pain.

Blue tried to calm himself as he absent mindedly listened to his General call out commands, the feel of blood dripping down the side of his head. Yet, despite the growing wound, he couldn't remove his claws from his scalp. His head just hurt so much! Then there were these whispers and images that were slamming themselves into his psyche. Where were these things coming from? Was he truly so much of a defect that he couldn't even go a minute without his pak? Taking a breath, the leader tried to press the images to the back of his mind and concentrate on Sizz-Lorr's attack tactic, but an image of Membrane suddenly stood before him like a ghost, looking down at him with his goggles removed and a faint smile on his face. Blue couldn't help but draw back slightly in a gasp, no one else seeming to notice the human before their Tallest.

"It's okay that the experiment didn't work, Dib. We'll try again. I'm so proud that you are so young and showing an interest in science already."

"Daddy, science is fun! It's like magic."

"No silly, magic isn't real but science is genuine."

Blue was suddenly to his feet, his eyes wide as he stared at the place where Membrane had just been standing. It wasn't the man in his image that scared him though. It was the smeetling like being he couldn't see and its voice. It sounded l-like his voice, like he was the speaker? B-but he wasn't … Dib?

Sizz-Lorr's nervousness had faded away into nothingness, his knuckles turning white as he kept his hands into fists. He was going to take down Membrane. He was going to kill that human. He promised to make it quick though. It was the least he could do for the being that had been the sire of Dib. He'd still be a food drone if it wasn't for the human's resolve and need for vengeance. Yes, he'd use the two main guns to get rid of him, quick and effective. But before he did that, he threw a look back at his Tallest, Sizz-Lorr's tongue stilling. Why did Blue look petrified? Was something -

A scream of agony suddenly echoed over the room making every pair of antennae in the room stand up on end. Sizz-Lorr eyes grew wide as he watched the petrified look turn into one of horror as the taller being gripped his head as if he was in the throes of madness. Yet, that was nothing compared to the clear stuff that dripped from his Tallest's eyes, tears, as another scream escaped the leader as he continued to clutch his head as if in were in tremendous pain. Then with one final cry Blue went silent, his lids flickered shut before he collapsed with a heavy thud to the floor.

The room was silent as every pair of eyes in the room fell on their collapsing lord.

Suddenly, Nave ran over to Tallest Blue, abandoning his post with the weapon's controls to pull Blue into his arms as if he were a fallen brother. For a moment, the interrogator looked at his Tallest's face in horror. His leader seemed to be breathing, but his eyes were dull and there was something dripping from them. Nave moved his fingers forward to touch this clear liquid dripping from his lord's eyes and nearly drew away with a yip, his finger sizzling as if he had touched water. For a second Nave tried to come up with a conclusion as to what that was but at the moment he couldn't care. He had been nearly tackled by one of the Advisors.

"What happened?" cried one of the taller advisors as he leaned down and tried to support his Tallest's head. "What?!"

"I don't know!" said Nave in all but a scream, worry rising to his chest. It was a strange feeling, one he had noticed steadily growing since Blue had started. He seemed to care about his Tallest Blue in a level far beyond any point he had felt for any other Tallests. Maybe it was because of the time he had been on the ship and all the other Tallest he had served, but he actually liked Blue. Tallest Blue … had actually asked his name.

The advisor with almost black red eyes - Nave believed him to be one of the oldest Advisors by the name of Dimm - looked at him with what seemed to be horror. Slowly, Dimm glared at Sizz-Lorr, his voice dripping with venom, "Did you turn off his pak properly?! Sizz-Lorr did you turn off his Tallest's pak?"

pak …

pak …

pak …

"How's your pak feel my little lab rat?"

Dib's eyes suddenly opened as he was dragged from his slumber. For a moment, he stared at the goggled eyes staring at him. Despite the sudden pleas to be still from the short form beside him, Dib forced himself to sit up. It was then that the whole occurrence slammed back to him. With shivering fingers, the changeling reached backwards, his fingers pulling away sharply and his breath catching when he felt the strangely warm metal of his pak. The once-human quickly wrapped his fingers around the edge of table and stared at the floor for a minute as he struggled not to panic.

"Are you in pain?" asked Gritt once again, his eyes traveling over his patient in curiosity. "I can give you a mild Irken sedative and gather some more readouts?"

Pushing away whatever nightmares were daring to plague him, Dib slowly looked sideways until his gaze capture another pair of eyes. He stared for a moment, wondering why this Voritan was overlooking him like a clucking mother hen and not Zim. He knew he should hate Zim, but he still had a deal to fulfill and all this suffering would be for naught if he didn't follow through.

Plus, Zim was all he had left of Earth as sick as that sounded.

"Are you feeling any aches in the back of your mind or is the pain physical? Do you even remember anything?" asked the Voritan once again, his curiosity reaching its peak. He wanted to know desperately if this experiment had been a success.

Dib pressed all pains of Earth to the back of his mind and decided to look at the being before him, ignoring a buzzing feeling now coming from his back.

"Yeah, I remember the pak's introduction," stated Dib in the calmness tone he could without growling. "I'm also not in pain right now. My back actually feels really numb. Why do you ask?"

The scientist pulled back for a moment and then said softly, "Are you sure? You were … leaking fluids from your eyes. I believe that in a human this is a show of stress. It is a wonder as to why those … tear sockets? … haven't been rejected by your body as well. Perhaps early Irkens had the ability once. It would explain why the tears have changed slightly so you are no longer burned. Any other Irken would probably be in agony right now though."

A surprised expression covered the changeling's face and he looked at the other as if trying to recall such a happening. His eyes suddenly fell downward as he recalled exactly what he had been dreaming about. In fact, there didn't seem a time since this whole escapade that he didn't dream. He had, in fact, been dreaming about a lot of things. Of old hopes and fears, but mostly about things from Earth and of where he was going now. He had also dreamed of his family it seemed. He had dreamed of his father and sister and, for the briefest of moments, he recalled his mother.

The human's eyes dragged away from that ever curious gaze of the scientist as he spoke, "I was dreaming of my family. My heart perhaps is in pain but not my body."

The Voritan's curiosity quickly fell into nothing and his gloved hand pulled itself into a shivering fist at his side. He had to look away from the changed being before he saw the other as something more than a glorified tool. Dib's sorrow was a feeling Gritt knew all too well. Generally, it was sadly a feeling that only the Irken's victims seemed to know. Irken's were created in tubes. What would they know of family? What could they know of the love and joy a child or a lover could bring? What could an Irken know of sorrow? Personally, that was why Gritt was sure the Irken's were so successful in there campaign. Every Irken was disposable except for their leaders. They did not know of love.

"I understand," said the scientist softly as he buried his feelings. "I have lost many as well. So, how do you feel? Any ache or pains? Most importantly, does your head hurt?"

Dib looked at the short being suspicious for a moment, his eyes narrowing before he spoke, "Why is that important? You've already asked twice."

"Well," said Gritt as he crawled up onto the berth, his hands traveling over to the pak as he struggled to drown his own memories, barely even noting that Dib tried not to twitch as he heard his pak spring open. "Generally, paks observe an Irken's every thought and action as well as his or her physical body. They are like a second mind which helps makes rational choices to assist a host in his or her endeavors. In fact, it is said that sometimes that metallic assistant knows what an Irken is going to think before even he or she does. There is even a rumor that some paks start forming a 'ghost' of their owner's mind. Those Irkens are destroyed almost immediately. So if your pak forms one I recommend not telling anyone … except me. I'm more than a little interested in the phenomenon."

Dib's eyes went wide as he thought of the porn magazines under his bed and nearly slapped himself for thinking it because it was now part of his pak.

"So, let me get this right," said Dib as he tried not to think of the first time he got to second base. "It knows everything I know?"

"Yes?" said the Voritan as he smiled, watching the electrical grid jump to life inside the pak. "And whatever you seem to be thinking right now has your pak real interested. It's recording your every thought when generally it just observes. I'm sure it's going to like you a lot more than its old owner with the way it's acting."

The changeling buried his head in his hands as embarrassment overcame him. Great, not only was he an Irken now, but apparently he had a pervert on his back. Life couldn't get much worse, could it?

"The feeling isn't mutual," said Dib dryly as he pulled his hands away from his face, staring at his clawed hands. "Where's the moron anyway?"

The Voritan was silent for a minute, before he broke into laughter.

"What do you mean, moron? I thought he was the brains of this whole operation? Or am I incorrect?" said the alien as he went to hook up some tubes to the pak. The pak seemed healthy enough and happy with an intelligent host if the electric grid was any indication, but it was easy to say that the engine was struggling. Dib's body was just too large for the machine. It was trying though and it wouldn't give up without a fight.

Gritt couldn't help but grin at the realization. It seemed everyone learned to like this changeling … even his new pak. To be safe, he was going to give the pack a little help for the moment. And with that thought, the scientist plugged Dib's pak in.

Dib nearly squawked when energy seemed to flow into his body from his spine. The teenager couldn't help but close his eyes as his whole body seemed to shiver in some type of ecstasy. It was really nice, as if a second life was pumping itself into him. Now it was of little wonder as to where Zim got all his pep and energy, as well as sleeplessness. How could any being even dream of wanting to sleep when they had so much life pressing itself into the back of their brain? Slowly, the new Irken dragged his head down to his hands trying to strive off some of the rapture so he wouldn't be overcome.

Gritt was worried for a moment, placing a hand on the taller being's shoulder now that he was leaning forward.

"Is something the matter?" asked the scientist simply as he popped open the shivering specimen's pak. He observed the inner workings for a brief moment. Nothing seemed out of order so why was Dib acting like he was about to fall off the table?

With a quivering sigh, Dib lifted his face upward as if the dull lamp above them was the sun kissing his face with its warmth. He missed the sun, but this fluttering energy climbing through almost every cell in his being almost, almost, made up for the pain he had endured.

"It feels really, really, nice," said Dib as his eyes drew open saddened that he was greeted by an electrical lamp and not the endless blue sky with its occasional fluffy, white intruders. "Like the sun has drifted into my body. I was really tired until you … plugged me in."

Those eyes hidden behind goggles drew away from a worried expression and he returned to the pak's current readouts. He wasn't sure what a 'sun' was but he could tell that Dib was in anything but pain. Bliss was perhaps a better word.

"I can only presume that it has something to do with your weakened pak," said Gritt not even noticing the worried expression that quickly covered his subject's facial features.

Dib sat there, his eyes never wavering from the creature over his shoulder. With a dry tongue, he couldn't help but inquire as to what the 'good' doctor meant by that. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that this pak is not sufficient for your needs and its engine will burn out if something is not done

There was a cold chill suddenly in the air and Dib's antenna rose as a realization hit him. So Zim … basically just left him here to die? After all those promises of revenge? Dib wanted to help him destroy the Tallest and Zim would become an adviser and somehow save the last traces of the human race.

Or they'd blow up everything and quite honestly, Dib found that to be a win-win in his case ... except for the whole abandoning him because he wasn't useful thing. He knew Zim.

"He just left me here to die, didn't he? Why am I not surprised?" came a growl from the changeling as he rose to his feet, his fingers reaching and ready to pluck the plug from his pak when a small hand reached out and stopped him.

"What are you doing?!" said Gritt. "There is a reason I plugged you in. I want to survive otherwise all my work will be for nothing. And I doubt he left you to die."

The once-human slapped the hand away, unplugging himself and trying not to shiver as his body was suddenly overcome with weakness. He then threw a glare at his torturer, grumbling, "Zim and I might have a common goal, but I don't entirely trust him either. Nearly killing me and destroying my home planet kind of killed any want for trust especially because he is leaving something unsaid. I just know there is some part of this plan he isn't telling me. I will not set here and be a pawn for him."

The scientist was silent, uncertain of what to say, because he was sure that much was true as well. Zim was always up to something. His mind didn't kick into high gear until his specimen was halfway across the room though, Dib taking unsteady steps, his body being slowly overcome with weakness. The Voritan pulled his hand into a fist and jumped down to the floor, footsteps echoing over the lab as he quickly caught up to Dib despite the changeling's longer legs.

"Wait, wait. I think you are confused." He doubted that. In fact, Dib seemed spot on. "Get back on the table. You misinterpreted my words. What I meant was –"

"Don't cover up for him. I'll make you a deal. After I deal with the Tallest and then kill that plotting idiot, you can have my dead body. Deal?" grumbled Dib, his finger slamming on the button that would open the door, yet his angry was quickly changed to surprise when a pair of cold red eyes glared at Dib from the recently opened door. For a moment they just stared at each other, Dib and the Irken before the door, until the hatred resurfaced on Dib's features, his teeth bore at the slightly shorter but certainly wider being.

"Please move, I'm hunting moron," came an irritated grumble, Dib's eyes becoming slits when he noticed the other wasn't moving. He didn't have time to be wasting here. Who knows how long his pak was going to last.

The large being's eyes became slits as well when he noticed the taller being irritation, his eyes easily catching what was going on as the Voritan tugged on Dib's clothing and kept looking toward the medic examination table within. The taller Irken's misty eyes told the bulky Irken all he needed to know though. So this was the one.

His words were simple, "Get back on the berth, before you kill yourself. Idiot."

A growl escaped the irritated changeling as he pulled his fingers into a fist. He didn't have time for this Hulk impersonator. He had better things to do like: uncover Zim's plot, destroy the Tallest, save what was left of humanity. He had plenty of better things to do than be blocked in by this other Irken and his impressive gusto.

Bustling ghouls, the new Irken looked familiar. Dib's pak was even running around trying to find the answer, but it still hadn't copied all of his thoughts and he was quite fine with that. He wanted to keep some things to himself after all.

Deciding enough was enough, especially when the larger Irken took a step forward into his person space, Dib drew a leg back and kicked the other in the shin as if it was nothing. A trick his sister had pulled many a times on him. A dry grunt filled the dully lit hall and the bulky Irken crashed against the wall, his eyes full of surprise. Not wanting to waste his time in even gloating, Dib made his way pass the hefty being, his destination unknown. All he needed to know was what he was going to do to Zim. He was going to rip off the traitor's antennae and beat him with them until he coughed up whatever-

"Umph!"

Dib laid there on his back for a second, his thoughts being replaced by a winded feeling as he stared at someone's ankles. He just stared trying to collect himself and figure out what had just happened. Well, he had been moving forward, torture in mind, and then the next thing he knew he was on his back on the floor. Did he slip? A pair of red eyes glared down at him. Nope, he was tripped. He was loose on his new legs but he wasn't that much of a klutz.

"Get back into the lab," said the bulky Irken as he stared down at Dib's still form, his scarred eye seeming to scowl more menacingly than the other.

The humanoid sighed and slowly pulled himself upward onto his elbows, his back sending quick pains up his spine. He glared at his attacker and then with a quickly tongue stated bitterly, "Make me."

A squeak was all that was allowed of the stunned halfling as he was dragged to his feet and slung over the shoulder of the slightly shorter Irken. He just stared at the closing door to the hall, surprise still encasing his cranium. Who the Dante's Inferno was this? Why did this Irken care if Dib was going to die a little sooner or later or beat Zim with his own antennae? It wasn't any of his business.

Deciding he didn't care who his current kidnapper was, Dib brought one of his elbows into the back of his capture's neck, making him yelp and allowing the hybrid to make an escape to the floor below. Dib didn't even take the time to rub his ass as he rose to his feet, dashing towards the exit once more. Only this time a pak leg lashed out and tripped him once again. Yet, this time he didn't find himself on his back and staring at the dust bunnies on the floor, but still standing somehow. The once-human looked to either side of him. He was hanging, more than standing, on four pak legs.

Well, that was a rather interesting sensation. He could sense those metallic legs holding him up, yet he knew they weren't his legs. Dib hung there, the back of his mind fuzzy as he tried to figure out what had happened. Not that he really got a chance to figure out how he activated those extra limbs when the lumbering figure made a grab for him. A yelp escaped the confused and weakening hybrid as struggled to get away. Luckily, his pak legs knew that he wanted to go backwards and stumbled away from the stranger. Yet, they seemed weak, almost unable to keep him upright. Not that he really got to dwell on his equilibrium as the larger Irken made another grab at him, using his own pak legs to shepherd Dib backwards and into the wall like a cornered rat.

A growl escaped the changeling which surprisingly made his attacker look alarmed for a moment. Then, dwelling on the days when Zim would use his pak legs to run about the ceiling, did the same thing, using his new limbs clumsily to clamber over the top of his opponent. He didn't get far though when his new legs suddenly gave out as if exhausted, making Dib fall to the floor with a yelp. The humanoid groaned as pain shivered up his form. That was no short fall. He quickly glared at his struggling legs at his side. The spindling limbs were certainly trying to pull him back up, but they seemed to keep slipping as if on ice.

"That's enough out of you smeetling," grumbled the bulky being as he grabbed those legs at the base of the pak as if pulling weeds. He then pulled the aching Dib to his feet and slammed him face first against a wall. Dib didn't struggle at first, his head starting to feel light, but he almost balked when he felt the stranger's hand touch his pak.

"Quit moving!"

"Don't touch me. Don't you dare!" yelled Dib as his struggling returned with a vengeance.

Not that the stranger took his threat to heart as Dib's pak slid open, his legs retreating back into his pak. There was a moment of silence and then Dib squawked as he felt a hand reach into his machine. Not that he could really protest, his exhaustion was now making him physically weak. He couldn't even complain as he listened to something click, like a switch, in his pak.

Sleep came quickly and without complaint.

"Your Zim's helper I take it," said Gritt as he walked over the taller being, watching curiosity as the bulky Irken almost carefully pulled the now off-line being into his arms as if he were a child. Well, considering the specimen's age, Dib would be a child to most Irkens, wouldn't he?

"Yes, I am. He's lucky I even agreed otherwise our trump card would be dead," grumbled the stranger as he looked around his working conditions. He then headed over to the berth that halfling had been on, laying Dib on his stomach as he grabbed the cord hanging from the ceiling. A soft click filled the room and a sigh escape the now slumbering patient. "This pak is too weak for someone of his size. Irk, he's tall. Zim's plan doesn't seem as crazy now."

The Voritan merely laughed at the statement, getting on top of the table to check out the pak's recharge. "Yes, Zim is crazy, but he does have his bouts of genius … So, tell me, what is he offering you if we succeed?"

Sizz-Lorr pulled out a metallic part from a pocket and handed it to the scientist, grumbling the name of the part before simply stating, "He said I could be a General. Tuh, usually I'd rather ignore Zim, but I'm willing to have a change of heart for a position like that. Plus, he might be little more than a smeet, but I already like him. This … Dib. He could barely stand and yet he put up a fight."

XXX

Paw07: Ah … now we see how our dear Sizz-Lorr became involved in this masquerade.

Revisions November 2014.