Chapter Fourteen: Mate

So many weapons. Keef had a whole hangar filled with weapons of all kinds. He hadn't been kidding around when he said he'd finished Zim's plans. He did every one of them and Zim remembered them all. Right down to the barely thought up ones that he hadn't expected to even work. And they were all huge, so much that they took up a lot of room. The hangar was a maze of weaponry and inventions Zim had dreamt up. In all honesty, Dib could probably see this stuff and not worry, but Zim had feared he'd forgotten something. Thought up something horrible and specific to Dib and forgotten it, and Keef would've made it anyway. He knew Keef would, Keef was obsessed, Zim designed Keef to be that way. Zim had made Keef into a monster, but he wasn't so sure he wasn't proud of that work. Seeing all the amazing weaponry around him, Zim was a bit glad Keef was obsessed.

"So…all of this stuff works?" Zim asked, gazing around him as they walked. Somewhere along the way the androids had gone off the do their own things as Zim and Keef inspected machinery.

"Oh yeah~! It's all working thanks to your amazing designs~!" Keef complimented.

Zim's ego boosted. "Yeah, well, I am amazing, you know."

"Oh yeah, so amazing, you make everything worth doing, Zim," Keef said.

Zim's ego boosted even more, so much that he didn't notice Keef steadily getting closer. "Oh, Zim, we're gonna have so much fun~!" Keef exclaimed.

"Eh…sure. Yeah," Zim said uneasily, wondering what Keef meant.

"Oh! I know one you'll just love~!" Keef yelled, taking Zim's hand and dragging him to another sector. The machinery here looked completely foreign to Zim. These weren't of his design, so who's were they? Certainly not Keef's. "Here it is!"

Keef stopped them in front of a large, old-looking computer. Zim took the moment to yank his hand away from Keef's. Keef stared up at the machine with love in his eyes.

"What the flirk is it?" Zim asked.

"It's an invention I found in Professor Membrane's lab, it takes the DNA from two people and splits them together," Keef said excitedly, clasping his hands together. Zim stared at the dusty hunk of wires and computer parts, thinking that this seemed a lot like Irken incubators. Suddenly and without warning, Keef wrapped his arms tightly around Zim. "Oh, Zimmeh, we're gonna be so happy~! I can see it now, our little green-skinned, red-haired kids~!"

"W-WHAT?" Zim yelled, trying to squirm away from Keef. "What the fuck are you talking about?" Keef somehow managed to hold onto Zim.

"About our love, Zim!"

"I don't love you!" Zim hissed, squirming harder.

"Yes you do, don't you remember?" Keef asked. Zim had no idea what he was talking about. "It was shortly after you got here! I remember it so well…you were the first one to ever want me as your friend!"

"That was just to look normal, and I told you your duties were over, you freak!" Zim yelled.

"But Zim…you knew who I was, remember? I know you chose me because you knew I wasn't human either. I didn't want to admit it earlier in front of Dib, but you knew I wasn't human. That's why you chose me, because I was different," Keef explained in his weird way. "The moment I saw you all those years ago, I knew you were Irken…I just didn't say anything. But when you chose me as your friend…I was so happy!"

Wasn't human, eh? That explained why Keef didn't seem to die no matter how much they threw at him. Zim really chose him because he was the most durable of the humans. It was just Irken to chose the best of what was available. And at the time that was Keef. Maybe if Dib hadn't been such a jerk when Zim arrived…maybe they would've been friends all along. Zim shook his head and snapped to the present, this was no time to reminisce. "Keef, you idiot. If you're not human…what are you?" Zim asked, struggling to free his hands.

"Silly Zim, you know what I am~! But I'll say it anyway, since that's probably why you asked, to hear it out loud. I'm a Meekrob," Keef admitted, still fondling Zim.

Zim froze in place and stopped trying to free himself. Keef…a Meekrob? "What do you mean…why…why were you on Earth if you're a Meekrob?" Zim asked.

Keef suddenly got this far off look and looked down, away from Zim. "I…I don't know. I…was a soldier for them…I think. It was so long ago…I was just starting life. And…they sent me to Earth and told me to study it…" Keef said quietly. Zim caught on to what he was saying though. Keef had made a bad soldier, so they sent him away. Just like The Tallest had done to Zim, except way earlier on.

Zim thought this over. Keef being a Meekrob made since. He recalled that the Meekrob had a weird way of choosing mates, different from what humans did. Humans chose each other in a mutual agreement. Meekrob never really cared about who they mated with, seeing how they were all made of pure energy anyway, and the outcome would be exactly the same…another ball of pure energy with the power to change into any form they wished. So Keef must have taken Zim's ever so slight friendship with him as an invitation to being life-mates. That was ridiculous, Keef was pure energy and could only mate with another Meekrob. What was Keef thinking?

Though… "Keef…how old were you when you leaders sent you to Earth?" Zim asked, still uncomfortable with Keef hanging on him, but slowly getting used to it.

"Um…I think…" Keef looked up, trying to remember. "I think, a few days after I was born…" Zim sighed, poor Keef. He was totally screwed up for life. Having Meekrob instincts and yet having stupid Earth things programmed into his head as well. "It was sooo cool when I got to Earth, Zim~! I was just energy, so I just changed my form to one of the Earth children I saw…then I guess it wasn't so cool. Everyone pretty much ignored me…until you came! Then you saw me! It was so awesome, Zim~!"

Zim stood still and let Keef have his little moment before doing anything. If Zim was honestly the only one who'd ever cared for the brat, then that definitely wasn't right. "Keef…" Zim sighed. Keef held onto Zim tighter, not giving a chance for Zim to escape. "Just how old are you now, in Earth years?"

"Um…Eight…I think," Keef said slowly, as though unsure. Damn, Zim thought, that's exactly how long he'd been on Earth. They must have arrived at about the same time.

"I can't do this with you," Zim told him, Keef stared into his eyes in confusion. "Keef, I love Dib."

"I know, I know~! I love Dib too! That's why I want you to be friends!" Keef exclaimed, looking up into Zim's eyes.

"But I love Dib as a life-mate, Keef," Zim explained. Zim watched, as the happiness seemed to flood out of Keef's eyes.

"But…but…I loved you first!" Keef yelled, his cheeks turning red.

"That's true…but you're pretty young to decide you're life-mate," Zim pointed out. Keef may have changed his appearance to be older along with Zim and Dib, but he was still considered a smeet…among all three of their civilizations. Meekrob normally didn't choose their partner until twenty-five Earth years. And for humans it varied, and Irken's never had mates.

"But…I love you!" Keef burst. Zim sighed as wetness formed in Keef's eyes. Damn smeet….

…

She could smell him, he was so close…the scent was on the tip of her tongue. Damn Skoodge, lying to her. Zim was still here, he was so close she could taste it. She rounded the corner to see her target and at long last…her target was in her sights. He was just standing there with the red-haired human doing that human thing…hugging was it? She lifted her gun and carefully set it straight at Zim. She caressed the gun slightly, it was a Subatomic Particle Disintegrator, Vortian-made of course. A SPD could shoot through anything, it was originally made to kill their main enemy, the Meekrob. She'd stolen it just for this moment, for this special target dead ahead.

Just as Tak's finger was pressing the trigger, the red-haired boy locked eyes with her and shed a single tear before doing something that epically pissed Tak off.

…

Dib laid down his final card and looked up at Skoodge happily. Dib won again, and Skoodge looked completely confused about it. "How come I never heard of this game when we were on Earth?" Skoodge asked.

"Because you're stupid," Gaz replied. Dib was going to say something to that, but decided against it. Speed was a pretty simple came, you just had to be fast to lay your cards and draw them, as the name implied. He didn't think Skoodge was stupid though, it took Dib a long time to learn it too.

Dib shuffled the cards as he readjusted himself. After thirty minutes of sitting cross-legged on the couch, his legs had fallen asleep. Skoodge seemed to be in the same situation. "Hey, how 'bout we do something else?" Dib asked. Speed was started to get boring, especially since Gaz wouldn't play with them. Rin wasn't even here to provide nice conversation; she'd gone off to find Len, wherever he went.

"What else is there to do?" Skoodge asked, standing up to stretch.

"We could look for a kitchen, I'm starved," Dib said, laying the cards on the couch. How long had it been since he'd eaten?

"I second the motion," Gaz muttered, getting up and moving to the door without taking her eyes off her game. Dib sighed, at least Gaz seemed to be back to normal. She wasn't smiling and she was back to squinting and muttering everything.

"Might as well," Skoodge agreed. Dib nodded and they all left to find the kitchen. Though, in a Zim-designed ship, who knew where that might be.

…

Zim saw the look in Keef's eyes. Keef was staring off behind Zim at something with malice. Keef looked determined and as a tear finally fell, Keef quickly switched their positions. Only a true Meekrob could do something like that so quickly. And then as soon as Keef was behind Zim, the room turned bright red and a loud crack of thunder sounded and Keef and Zim were thrown across the room, slamming into machines.

Zim looked around, to see what was going on and saw Tak with a gun at the other side of the room. She was laying on her back with the gun a few feet away on the ground, the sonic shock the gun caused must have thrown her back too. Zim looked around for Keef, but didn't see him anywhere. Paranoid, Zim started looking under pieces of broken machinery looking for him, but he was nowhere. Zim got up and went to Tak, inspecting the gun. He froze in place when he saw what it was. The only gun in the universe that could kill a Meekrob without a trace…and it had done it's job well. Zim was almost proud of the Irken-Vortian technology, but remembered what it had just done. But really…was this something to be sad about…? Zim decided to think about it later and check on Tak.

When Zim rolled her over, he saw that a small metal pin had been thrust into Tak's pak. He took it and wrenched it out slowly. Tak seemed to be passed out, so Zim picked her up in his arms. She was slightly smaller than him now, and much lighter than he remembered. Strange what time, foreign planets, and growth drugs do to people. Zim laughed inwardly at that though.

He left the gun where it was and started to head back to where the others were. Skoodge would want to see this.

…

"Just admit it already, idiot," Gaz hissed, "We're lost."

"N-no we're not," Dib said ignorantly, "I bet it's just around the corner."

"That's what you said fifteen corners ago," Skoodge pointed out. Dib sighed heavily, giving Skoodge a pointed glare to say, 'You're not helping.' Skoodge merely shrugged.

Dib rolled his eyes and kept walking. Hoping to god that the next corner would at least let them know where they were. He didn't quite want to know if Gaz was back to making people pay with pain yet.

But when they rounded the corner, the sight before them completely shocked them. Zim was walking down the hall, perfectly at peace carrying a passed out Tak in his arms; Tak had a small spot of dried blood on her forehead. When Zim noticed Dib, Skoodge and Gaz staring at him he stopped and smiled slightly. He held Tak slightly away from him, as though trying to hand her off.

"I found your mate, I think she's dead," Zim said, conveying absolutely no emotion whatsoever.

Skoodge made a startled sound and ran to Zim's side, taking Tak in his own hands, checking to see if she was alive. After a minute he sighed in relief. "I think she's okay, just passed out."

"Oh yeah," Zim said, as though remembering something, he pulled out a small metal stick, "This was sticking out of her pak, I think it may have punctured something."

Skoodge took the stick in one hand and made an annoyed face. "Crap…I don't know anyone who knows about paks…" Skoodge mumbled.

"I do, but I'm pretty sure they got killed…" Zim said, looking up in thought. Skoodge grunted and looked at Tak lovingly.

"Do you know where the kitchen is?" Dib asked. Zim stared at him blankly for a second before nodding. Dib went over and linking arms with Zim and let him lead them off. Gaz followed behind them.

"Morons…" Gaz muttered under her breath. No one responded.

"So where's Keef?" Dib asked.

"Dead," Zim said.

"R-Really?" Dib asked, almost shocked. Keef was pretty damn hard to kill.

"Yup," Zim said peacefully.

"Are you really sure, I mean…he doesn't die easily…" Dib said, pressing Zim to tell him what happened.

"Tak killed him with a SPD. Keef is a Meekrob. The only way to kill a Meekrob is with an SPD…so he's dead…" Zim said, after a pause adding, "I think she was aiming for me though…"

"Of course she was…" Skoodge mumbled, only half paying attention.

"So…He's really dead," Dib said, blown away.

"Yup, like I said three times now. That's how Tak got hurt too…she was thrown back and must have landed on the pin," Zim said, explaining further.

"Oh…" Dib thought about that. He looked down at Zim's impassive face. He seemed zoned out, like he wasn't even thinking about what they were talking about. "Zim…are you okay?"

"…I think…I didn't really hit much when I landed," Zim said, looking up at Dib's concerned expression.

"No, that's not what I mean," Dib sighed, realizing Zim wouldn't understand what he meant. Zim's face furrowed with confusion as he stared at Dib.

"What do you mean…?" Zim asked with determination.

"He means are you emotionally compromised," Gaz grunted with agitation, probably frustrated with having to listen to their chatting.

"Oh," Zim said, looking away to think about it. Dib let him think and concentrated on what they would do now that the "Captain" wasn't here.

"Where are the androids that went with you?" Dib asked. Zim shrugged uncaringly. Dib sighed but didn't bother him with questions, they'd probably show up eventually.

After a few minutes of silence Dib got bored again. "So…are you okay, Zim?" He asked again.

"…yeah…I guess," He mumbled. Dib looked at Zim very closely.

"No, you're not," He said. Zim turned his head to glare at him.

"If you knew the answer, why did you ask?" Zim said with true confusion and annoyance.

"Um…to see what you said, I think," Dib stammered. Zim seemed to deem that a reasonable excuse as he faced forward with a passive expression again. "What happened, Zim?" Dib asked, still not understanding what was going on.

Zim narrowed his maroon eyes. "The boy…Keef…before he died," Zim paused, thinking over his words, "He said he loved me."

"Well, that's not a surprise," Dib mumbled. Zim gave him a pointed look and Dib shut up.

"But it was more than that…he loved only me. He…he wanted to mate with me…" Zim explained, "He was banished from Planet Meekrob…just like the Tallest banished me…"

"…Oh…" Dib breathed, getting it a little more.

"And the thing is…he was just a smeet…" Zim whispered, sounding hurt inside, "He was eight Earth years, Dib, eight!" Dib remained silent, knowing these things often happened in wartime. "When he was born, his leaders abandoned him…sent him to Earth, and I was the only one to ever show him kindness, and I was just using him!"

"…" Out of the corner of Dib's eye he could see Skoodge with his head bowed, looking away. It seemed he understood what Zim was saying very well.

"…I understand why The Tallest banished me, I mean…I was a nuisance. I ruined Impending Doom one, and caused blackouts and killed world leaders…but Keef. He didn't do anything! Not a damn thing!" Dib watched Zim as tears formed in his eyes, but Zim didn't seem to notice. "And now he's dead, and he was only eight! Fucking eight! How can anyone die that young?" Zim asked rhetorically.

"People die all the time, whiner, so get over it," Gaz snapped from behind them. Zim took that in and looked down.

"Zim, don't listen to her, she's mean," Dib consoled.

"But she's right," Skoodge muttered. Dib glared at Skoodge, but this time Skoodge glared back. "This is war…and in war people die all the time, even smeets."

Dib looked down, almost ashamed. He clung to Zim helplessly as Zim clung right back. He left it at that and didn't bring the subject back up again. It was useless.

…

Zim ended up taking them to the control room instead of the kitchen, which peeved Dib a bit, but he knew they had to have a plan. Skoodge set Tak carefully on a bench while he called up the operator of the ship. "Kaito here," the blue-haired android hair cheerfully.

"Um, the captain…Keef, he's dead," Skoodge said nervously.

"Oh, okay. You wanna be captain now?" Kaito asked, as though Keef's death meant nothing.

"S-sure," Skoodge stuttered.

"What do we do now, captain?" Kaito asked. Skoodge looked back at Dib and Zim, who both shrugged.

"I'll…let you know," Skoodge said slowly. Kaito saluted with a smile before cutting transmission. "So…like he said, what now?" Skoodge asked.

"We should make our own army," Gaz suggested.

"You're just power-hungry," Dib mumbled.

"I think that's a good idea," Zim agreed. Dib stared at him. "Well…that way we can help end the war without having to choose sides…"

"That…actually makes sense," Skoodge said, shocked that Zim could make sense when thinking ahead was involved.

"Yeah, it is," Dib agreed, smiling at Zim.

"It was my idea," Gaz reminded them.

"So?" Zim asked. Gaz glared at him, shutting him up.

Suddenly Tak bolted straight up, surprising everyone. "T-Tak?" Skoodge called. Tak turned to stare at him with child-like eyes.

"Skoodge!" She yelled with anger. Wait…that wasn't anger in her voice…it was…it was joy. Tak jumped up and ran at Skoodge and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Oh Skoodge! It was so dark and cold! I missed you!"

Everyone, included Gaz, gasped and stared at Tak as she wept into Skoodge's shoulder. Skoodge was motionless for a minute, but then wrapped his arms around her and slowly began to smiled. Dib smiled and snuggled up to Zim, happy for them both. He wasn't sure where this sudden relationship suddenly sprouted from, but he was sure someone would inform him about it later. About her sudden change in personality, it seemed to be a result of the pin in her pak, it must have ruptured personality information. Oh well, this Tak was much better than the other one.

"So, what you wanna do?" Dib whispered to Zim. Zim looked up in thought for a moment.

"Sleep," He finally decided. Dib laughed.

"Me too," He agreed, "Do you know where bedrooms are around here?" Dib asked. Zim nodded wearily. Dib reached over and interlocked fingers with Zim lovingly as Zim rested his head on Dib's shoulder.

Dib returned to watching Skoodge and Tak, they were whispering to each other now and Dib thought it was awesome. Skoodge finally had someone like Dib did. Skoodge and Tak turned to then and beamed. "Guess what?" Skoodge said mysteriously.

Before they had the chance to say anything, Tak burst out and told them. "We're getting married!" She squealed with happiness, jumping into Skoodge's arms.

"We were getting married first!" Zim yelled, just as loud, but not as happy. Zim hesitated then stared at Tak and Skoodge in confusion. "Aren't you already bonded anyway?"

Skoodge shrugged. "That was pair bonding for DNA on Irk, we like Earth weddings better." Tak nodded animatedly.

"Everyone hold on a minute," Gaz said, getting something from her pocket. It looked like a remote for something. She pushed it and waited. Everyone heard a squealing from down the hall and Gir suddenly pealed into the room and stood at Gaz's feet.

"Yes, my master," Gir said, saluting her.

"HEY! I'm your master, Gir!" Zim yelled. Dib nudged him to shut up. Zim leaned back on Dib and pouted.

"Gir, those two are getting married," Gaz said, pointing at Tak and Skoodge. Then to them she said, "There, that's my wedding gift." Then she went back to her game.

Gir screamed then hugged Tak, oblivious to the fact that she'd attacked his master before. "We's gonna make a sandcastle and a sammich and have pizza and watch a movie and eat waffles and…" Gir rambled, not stopping there.

Dib and Zim tuned it out as Tak and Skoodge actually looked like they were paying attention and considering the random suggestions.

…

"Hey, Red," Purple said suddenly.

"What?"

"Where's Gaz?" He asked. Red looked thoughtful before answering.

"I dunno," Red replied.

"Does it really matter?" Purple asked, he didn't want to freak out if it wasn't worth it.

"I don't think so," Red muttered uncaringly.

"Okay," Purple said, turning back to his plate of nachos.

…

"So," Dib said, piping up again, "When are you guys gonna get married?"

Skoodge sat on a bench now with Tak in his arms. "OH! As soon as possible," Tak answered. Skoodge nodded happily. Dib smiled at them then turned to Zim to discuss their own wedding, but Zim was asleep. It wasn't even the usual kind of sleep where you can't tell it their sleeping or just resting, Zim was most definitely asleep.

"I think we can decide what to do in the morning," Dib said, "It's been a long day." Tak nodded in agreement. Dib got Zim to rouse enough to lead them to the bedrooms where they laid down and Dib watched Zim continue his peaceful sleep before drifting off himself.

…

Nikki watched them through the camera screen. They thought they were so peaceful now, so safe, so warm. They were wrong, dead wrong. She laughed as she watched. A cold, almost mechanical hand touched her shoulder. "Nikki?" Kaito called.

"Yes, love," She responded.

"It's late…" Kaito said gloomily, "We can plan our conquest tomorrow…"

Nikki sighed, but she knew Kaito wouldn't budge on his decision. After all, it was his plan to lead Tak down a hall to where Zim and Keef were. Nikki hadn't known what exactly would happen, but she was extremely pleased with the resulting dead captain. Now the idiots were piloting and lucky for her they were easily manipulated. She chuckled, the drama of this place was simply thrilling.

…

…

A/N

This chapter is too short in my opinion. XP And Keef's death wasn't awesome enough. But…whatever, I'm tired, I'm not redoing it. It's almost over! The next chapter is the epilogue. And because I don't feel satisfied, I'm going to write a third part :) but then it's officially over after that one. –M–

Oh also, just so you know, the second movie in the last chapter, I made it up. But if I do see a movie like that, I will let you guys know :3

I…don't think I have anything else to say, except that it's 2:13 in the morning…my usual post time now. Please Review, it would make my day all happy and fuzzy :3