With that he stepped inside the ship, dubiously named a long listing of numbers and strapping up in the pilots chair. "Buckle yourself in, Zim. It's not gonna be smooth like the Voot or the Ladybug."
Zim gave the human a panicked look before doing as he was told, struggling with the buckles before they finally snapped in place. Buckles for a ship, how restraining. His true panic didn't set in until he heard the booming voice over head count down until launch off. Beads of sweat formed as the anticipation grew.
Finally, take off was sounded and they took to the skies. Dib wasn't kidding about it being a bumpy ride. Zim gripped the sides of his seat so hard his knuckles turned a creamy white beneath his gloves.
"Dib!" He drew out his name as they ascended. The craft was loud and shook violently, Zim was certain it would fall apart around them. Fear made his guts turn and he thought he was going to be sick. He looked to his mate, his eyes perfectly oval in his state, his antennae pressed flat. And there was Dib, with a wide grin on his face, his eyes beaming in excitement. Zim never wanted to punch him as badly as he did in this moment.
Dib had forgotten how much of a rush these stupid things were and seeing Zim's reaction was another reason to smile. Over the sound of wind breaking past them, rushing faster and faster, breaking the sound barrier and hurtling through the atmosphere, he had a huge grin on his face. "You're fucking adorable." He yelled over the din, his blood on fire.
And it took them longer than it would've to get close to the massive had they been in the voot, they did get there in one piece. Over the headset, Dib slipped on, he could hear his father and the others, babbling back and forth.
"You've reached the final atmosphere. Give us your observations." A monotone voice demanded of him.
"The Massive is in sight. It's not surrounded with as many ships as usual. But, it does have the several military ones on the outskirts, probably watching for something like us."
"Got it." Membrane replied this time. "Estimated time to visual?"
Dib did a few mental calculations, glancing sideways at Zim who finally seemed to be getting his wits about him. "Not long. Maybe thirty minutes."
"Right. Then engaging in ship core disguise…now." There was a hum and the bright blue lights over the control panel switched to a dark pink, bathing them in the familiar color.
From the outside it looked like an earth ship but, from his time around Irkens, Dib recognized that they often depended on their technology. If they could see an Irken signature code on their readings they would think nothing of it and let them slip past.
Zim glanced around them, taking in the familiar color as a sight for sore eyes. He was ready to be off this ship. He glanced out their window to see that their outer layer had not changed. That was somewhat of a disappointment.
"Clever." He admitted, looking back to Dib. "But we have eyes, Dib." He sighed, sitting back. All he could do now was hope that it worked. He looked towards the ship they were on route for, surprised that there were less ships than before. "Something's wrong." He looked around, moving in his seat to try and see around the Massive.
"They're docked. They are expecting us. The Tallest must have anticipated this after I left." He tapped his chin. The military rovers that circled the ship wouldn't be a problem if Dib's cloaking idea worked. But what bothered him was…"They are most likely all in the docking station. A good ambush move, but with tactical error." He looked towards the duffel bag the human was so kind to provide. "Nowhere to run." He added with a smirk. "What do you have in the way of explosives?"
Dib raised an eyebrow, thinking silently for a second before slowly shaking his head. "No explosives. It's fine if we get taken in. That was sort of the plan. I just need to keep my things and be taken to the Tallest." The most important part was making it to the dock without being shot down. Or at least that was the biggest challenge right now.
"I don't want to hurt any of the Irkens unless absolutely necessary." The ship continued to float forward, taking them closer and closer towards their fate.
Zim hummed. Even on the brink of his world's peril, Dib was a bleeding heart. More so than Zim could ever imagine. "You're a fool. But damn do I love you." Dib was sparing his people, even though they were threatening the humans. Dib never ceased to impress Zim.
He held up a claw. "Listen to me," He began, his tone taking a sudden seriousness. Their time was running out and the docking station was opening for them. "If you have a plan, I'd really like to hear it right about now."
Dib grit his teeth and nodded, taking a deep breath and wondering just how to begin. "Well, we get taken in. Hopefully, to the Tallest because they'll want me, the big pain in their ass to see my planet destroyed. The guards glance mildly at my stuff but don't see it as a threat because pssh, what could be a threat to the Mighty Tallest? I walk in…show them why humanity is worth saving with a very nifty slide show and a few um, special weapons that the scientists on my planet have been working on…and pray it works because if it doesn't then…well, your leaders die and my planet probably gets smoked." He grinned painfully, the very idea of either twisting his guts into a bow.
Zim's features were stoic as he listened, but as Dib spoke the final word, they twisted into unbelieving, with a mixture of anger and maybe something else, but it was hard to tell. His lips twitched as the ship came to a stand-still.
"That's your big plan!" He seethed. "You moron, they'll kill us both!" He slammed a fist on the seat's arm rest before wrestling to undo his restraints. They had been waiting for them, just as predicted. They were just as puzzled about the craft as Zim was, and pointed their weapons at the vessel, waiting for whoever inhabited it to show themselves.
Dib returned the scowl, speaking quickly into the headphones. "In the landing bay. Open the cockpit but slowly. They're armed." Before turning back to Zim. "Will you shut up? I know what I'm doing. Now you either stay here or be quiet and follow along." He hissed just before the door lifted and revealed them to the Irkens who actually seemed to relax when they saw it was the human. This was no threat, though the ship confused them with it's odd core. Must be a glitch.
Several came forward and searched the vessel, glancing at Zim, confusedly before prodding them out. Dib kept his bag close by. "This plan didn't work the first time," Zim whispered harshly. "What makes you think it will work again? You can't appeal to them!"
Zim hissed when one of the soldiers prodded him to keep him quiet. They weren't a threat, but the Tallest had given them orders to see the two, regardless. Zim kept his head low, his gut turning as they were lead down the familiar hallways, to the foreboding door that held their fate behind its steel frame.
All the way down the foreboding hall, Dib breathed in and out, calming himself, clearing his head, ignoring the panicking irken next to him. In his head, he ran over his lines, thinking back to the first time they'd done this, back to the advice that Zim had given him when they'd been dressing to look respectful.
This time his uniform was old, it was worn and smelled of Earth. He lifted his chin, throwing his shoulders back. Dib made his face, not blank, but fierce. 'Stand as if you are prepared for anything. Irkens are a fighting race and we do not respect the weak.'
The doors hissed open and the Tallest awaited them.
"I gotta say I'm surprised, Zim." Purple spoke up, but with a chilly amusement in his tone. "Betraying us for a human? I never saw it coming. Did you?" He asked, turning to his red counterpart.
Zim visibly shrank back, not having the heart to look his leaders in the eye.
"I didn't." He whimpered.
The second they walked into the Tallest's quarters, Dib no longer felt fear, but determination and rage. Unlike every single creature who worked on this ship he did not fear these over sized bullies.
"Leave Zim out of this. He may have gotten us into this mess but, his part is over." Dib commanded. 'Speak with a strict tone, loudly and clearly.' He stood as tall as he could, thinking of them as ants.'Use that height to your advantage.'
The Tallest' attention singled in on the human as he spoke up, both of their heads snapping to face him in unison. Red and Purple jewels stared through him, four eyes to one living entity.
"Ah, the human. Do not think we've forgotten about you." Red spoke, lacing his digits together. "You've gone through a lot of trouble to speak with us, again. I hope, for your sake, that it's worth it." His tone grew bitter as he spoke, his playfully devious expression twisting into a hard glare.
Zim stared in awe at Dib, though he would never admit it if the human happened to turn and look at him at this moment. He was really going to do it, wasn't he? He wasn't going to hold anything back, not with Earth at stake. Dib's confidence washed over Zim, and he mimicked the human's stance, standing up tall, his legs wide and his hands in fists by his side. Dib wasn't alone in this; Zim had made it clear where he stood in the universe when he went back to Earth.
"Oh, it is." Dib replied, noticing the Irken next to him straightening up, acting less like he was afraid and more like the fearless warrior who had faced so much by his side.
"Very worth it….and I'm going to give you one last chance to spare Earth." The 'or else' was unspoken but there none the less. Dib stared back into the Tallest's eyes, without fear, without doubt even if it festered deep, deep within. There was no room for it now. He felt his fingers twitch towards the bag around his shoulder.
The tall Irkens shared a sideways glance before Red clicked his tongue. He put his hands behind his back and strode a bit closer to the human, keeping space between them, yet closing in enough to tower over him.
"And…you're going to convince us of why we should, is that right?" He held up a hand and waved it in a circle, coaxing him. "So go on, tell me why we should spare Earth, and what will happen if we don't. I haven't had a good laugh in a while." From behind him, Purple let out a snicker, his features twisting into a heinous expression of amusement.
Dib's own lips curled up in a cold smirk. "Well, we could start with this." He said, before pulling out the weapon hidden in the fold of his bag and quickly pointing it first in Red's direction then Purple's, firing off one shot per each. There was no blinding light, no loud noise but, each Irken felt their world turn a bit off kilter.
"If this thing is working correctly, which I was assured it was, your time clocks should be showing up right about now, telling you, you have ten minutes till your life drains from you and you become empty shells. Conveniently that's also how long the effects take to wear off. Or I could flip the switch and everything would be nifty. But, first things first." His other hand reached into his bag and pulled out a separate gun.
"This one is a normal earth pistol. Should you move an inch, this will terminate you permanently. Now, you're the leaders and I assume you're selfish enough to not want to die or give up your positions, now tell me…are you willing to listen?" He finished, deadly calm.
A chilly silence fell over the two leaders as they looked back and forth between themselves and the pair that stood in front of them. Red's face twisted into an expression of disbelief.
"Zim, you are going to let this creature stand there and point a weapon at us?" He asked in a rushed tone, holding his hand out. Zim took in a deep breath, his head cocking to the side and his eyes glinting dangerously.
"Well, my Tallest, I DID warn you." The invader stated coolly.
Red blinked a few times, staring at Zim before his brow furrowed and his lips peeled back in a growl. "What do you want?" Purple asked, finally.
Dib's fingers clutched the trigger, adjusting minutely as he stared down both rulers. The power, even if it was temporary, was very heady indeed and it was only made more so by Zim standing by his side, unafraid.
"Well, I obviously want my planet safe. Meaning, no lasers, no new invader missions. Maybe even an official truce like we had first planned." Dib bit out scathingly, taking a step forward towards the one with red eyes. "Watch the purple one, Zim." He pressed the barrel of the gun to the Tallest's head. The safety was on but, the Irken didn't need to know that.
"Now before you say anything, I feel like I should give you a bit of history on humans. Let you know what you're getting into a bit better. Convince you why we're worth saving." Dib hissed, making sure to look the red one in the eyes, even if he had to look up a little bit.
The room was silent for just a moment as Dib decided to get cocky in his shining moment of heroism. The hum of the ship seemed louder than ever in that single moment, as if it was protesting the entire situation. It whined and creaked as it sauntered through space, still creeping closer to Earth regardless of the efforts taking place within its hull to stop it.
Red's long, bony fingers twitched in response to the cool metal being pressed to his head. His eyes, already dangerously dark in from the back-lighting of the large control boards in the front of the room, narrowed in on the human standing before him. He channeled all of his hate for the entire universe and singled it on this lowly creature. His vows to kill him, to make him regret being so bold, were a malicious glint in the blood-red orbs.
Purple, less composed in the situation than his counterpart, watched the human was a wary expression. He was feeling panic well up in his slender frame, but with nothing to do about it, he simply watched with a growing expression of turmoil. He hardly gave Zim the time of day, even in this situation, regardless of the accomplished air rolling off the invader's being.
Dib's fingers adjusted automatically on the trigger, watching the red tallest's hatred grow in maroon eyes. "Humans are brutal. We're no mighty Irken armada. We aren't united as one species. But, we fight amongst ourselves. In fact we've been killing each other since the beginning of time. We have wars. Wars where our own kind are gutted, or put into acid showers by the thousands. We carry weapons like the one I'm holding to you, into battle and shoot scorching pieces of metal deep into each other's bodies." Dib frowned grimly.
"We do this to our own flesh and blood. We destroy our rulers with assassinations, deploy bombs onto holy places, come up with the worst weapon imaginable so we can use it to threaten whoever disobeys us." The grim expression twisted into a colder frown, as he neared the end of his speech.
"I guess what I'm trying to say is this; if we can so easily kill one of our own kind, what would stop me from killing you, right at the second?" Dib made sure to look straight into the alien's eyes as he said it. "I could. I would. And the Irkens will have no leader. I have humans right now, ready to nuke this ship. We are a bloody race and we won't go down without a fight. But, I'm here. And I am giving you a chance, My Tallest…to turn around. To turn around and never look back…."
The anticipation was rising in his gut. Dib wanted to throw up, he wanted to laugh and cry. But, mostly he wanted to look back at Zim, to check if he was doing this right, to see his mate's reaction. But, he did none of the above, only swallowed.
"Will you take it?"
Zim's head turned to look at Dib as he spoke, his feelers giving a slight tremble against his scalp. He seemed as if he was looking at Dib through another dimension; the situation had turned Dib's face into that of a stranger. No longer the seventeen year old boy that had rescued him from a glass cage so many years ago, it felt like, but a hardened soldier with the burden of lives on his shoulders. No longer a smeet, but a man; one who had seen things and shouldered every burden up till now.
Zim would be lying if he said he wasn't impressed, but he was also slightly frightened. A chill danced across his skin and elicited goose-bumps. And suddenly Zim no longer wished to relish the moment of making his leaders tremble in their combined might; he wanted to be back with Dib in their ship, in the lady bug, and have his old Dib back. The Dib that was still just adjusting to the new world, with wide eyes and never ending questions.
And while Zim's confidence faltered, Red's did not.
"Then do it." Red ground out, slowly. "What do you think killing us will accomplish? New Tallest will be chosen; others will rise up. Killing us will only ensure your planet's safety for so long." He reached out and clamped his spindly fingers around Dib's wrist, twisting the fabric around the boy's flesh. "So do it. You're a cold hard killer, right? You've been travelling with Zim, after all. How many have you killed? Dozens? Hundreds?"
"Stop!" The Purple one gasped. "Are you crazy!?" He was at Red's side in an instant, shaking him by the shoulders. His purple eyes were perfect ovals as he looked to his counterpart with worry and fear. "This filthy planet isn't worth it; let's just get out of here."
Dib's expression didn't know what to do so it went completely blank, keeping fixed on the red tallest's eyes, waiting to hear the irken's response to his co-ruler's insistence. "But, you see, the thing is, is that I don't want to kill you. In fact that's far from my goal. I just want my brutal, useless, filthy planet safe. I've killed no one. In my entire life. I would hate for you to be the first."
Zim smacked his forehead. Dib, you dolt! What did he keep telling the human about his leaders? They didn't respect the weak. Would it kill Dib to lie, just once?
The corners of Red's lips twitched, threatening to give way into a dark smile.
"Why?" He asked. "Having the blood of a Tallest on your hands would grant you a tremendous respect throughout the galaxy. I thought you humans were ruthless and brutal?" He prodded at the structure of the human's earlier speech, his tone smug. "I don't see it."
Dib, instead of being flustered, smiled and with a single kick to the tallest's knees, sent him to the ground, so that he was on his knees before the human, and he shoved the butt of the gun that much harder against the Irken's temple. "Humans, are. I am not. Because I am different from them. I've traveled the universe, I've become privy to your knowledge. I have it all in my head, my Tallest. I know your weaknesses. I am not just any human, but a benevolent one. I've dreamt of the stars my whole life and I got what I wanted. I tamed one of your invaders and now he is mine and I, his. I have, YOU, the ruler of one of the greatest empires on your knees. I don't need to kill you, my Tallest…because the longer you delay…you're killing yourself. Your timer is ticking away. And you're slowly fading. While, I am strong. You would do well to fear me. Now, I ask you again, while you're still able to respond, are you going to leave my planet alone?"
Red's breath came out in a pained hiss, his tongue coming up against the roof of his mouth to contort the noise into a snarl. His growl effectively masked Purple's gasp, who only watched.
Zim moved in closer, taking his place beside Dib. He straightened his back when Red's eyes darted over to him, the look of utter disgust clear on his features regardless of the blood that began to trickle over them. In the silence the ship hummed, the various machines thrumming in unison to create the illusion of a steady heartbeat. The workers watched with anticipation and dread as they could do nothing but watch their leaders fall before them.
"Human, you have done a great deal of creating the façade of your strength. In this…..I applaud you. But know that this war is far from over. You've created a terrible enemy in your actions. But….seeing as how we do not have much choice." He took in a deep breath and deflated when he let it out. His shoulders slumped and his head bowed. "We retreat."
Dib's cold façade was chipped with a small grin. New enemies. That was okay with him. As long as earth was safe for now, he could deal with the threat of a future attack later. They would be ready and even stronger. "Good. As soon as we're safely off the ship, I'll reactivate your PAKs. And just to let you know, should you try anything stupid, like NOT leaving…we'll nuke your ship."
With that, he turned on his heel and left without a glance back at the rulers, his only look that deterred from his straight forward path was a quick check to see, that Zim was with him. They'd won. They reached the earthian's ship, with Irkens staring at them in obvious confusion.
But, Dib was true to his word and as soon as they were out of the way of the Massive, he pushed the button that reactivated the Leader's paks. "We're heading home." He said into the mic. "Earth is safe." Hundreds of miles away,people celebrated. People cried. And cheered.
And Zim had effectively turned his back on them. After the events of the day, there'd be nothing Zim could do to regain his place in his leaders' good grace. He looked over his shoulder as he watched the Massive shrink in the distance, a tight feeling in his gut. Everything he had worked so hard for…gone. Gone with the simple act of siding with a human. He turned around in his seat to face forward, his brow tense and his eyes scanning the air in front of him.
"That's it, then." Zim said, slowly. "It's over. We-…you won." His gloved fingers curled into the fabric of his uniform, wringing it slightly. Slowly, he turned to look at Dib, who was gradually turning back into the boy that Zim had fallen in love with.
Suddenly, the reality of what had just happened hit him light a freight train, and he was tensing up. His mouth stretched into a wide grin that lit up his eyes. "You did it! You reduced them to nothing!" Why was Zim so happy about this? He had devoted his life to his leaders. But he had always secretly wanted to be better then them, and now that reality was in sight, thanks to Dib. He jumped up and threw his arms around Dib's shoulders, landing a clumsy kiss to his chin. "I knew I wouldn't regret rescuing you."
Dib sputtered, suddenly attacked by the Irken, he instinctively wrapped his arms around Zim's waist, holding him there. He was unsure how to answer, but didn't really bother trying to decode Zim's actions, instead just let a huge smile spread. "We did, we won, Zim!" They'd had their victory. After all the doubt, the pain and tears. The fear. Earth was safe, for now, and he could be with his mate. They could have their dream. A frazzled laugh bubbled up in his throat and he leaned his forehead against Zim's, as the ship rocked with reentry.
"I did promise you, right? 80 years, at least. Well, we can have that now. There are a few things to be cleared up back on Earth…but after that…we can go back to space." Zim held tightly onto Dib to keep from bouncing around too much as they entered Earth's atmosphere, being too preoccupied with other things to worry about his seatbelt.
"80 years," Zim sighed, wistfully. Eighty more wonderful years of just them, doing what they do best and exploring the galaxy. It was such a shame that they didn't have their Ladybug anymore, but Zim was sure they could think of something. Now they could truly start their lives together, and Zim no longer had to worry about what was to come. Now it was just them, and the thought made him smile fondly. He raked his fingers through Dib's hair and closed his eyes, taking in the human's essence.
"You were very brave, back there." He said after a moment of silence. "However, I do have some pointers."
Dib's lid fluttered nearly shut at the sensation of three fingers, running through his hair, though he kept them cracked open enough to keep Zim in view. An eyebrow rose. "Oh? And what might those be?"
"Well, for starters," Zim started slowly, leaning his head back in thought. "When someone asks if you've killed anybody before, you always say yes." He returned his gaze back to Dib's face. "Idiot."
Dib smirked and shook his head. "You're an idiot." And that was all that they were able to get out without having to yell because then the ship was shaking so badly that Dib was afraid of getting whip lash. "Buckle yourself in, loser! We're landing!" He pushed the irken back into his seat and pulled the belts over him.
Unlike the last time they'd reentered the earth's atmosphere, instead of feeling like this could be the end of them, of everything he'd ever known, Dib knew it was just the beginning. The adrenaline of feeling like your world could come to pieces at any moment, made his heart beat in his ears but, the terror was held back by the simple fact that his hand soon found Zim's and their fingers intertwined. "You can finish complaining about my methods of saving the earth later!"
Back on the ground, they had a lot of explaining to do. People would wonder what had happened. There was no hiding the existence of aliens now. There would be questions, and hard answers. His father would wonder what had happened to him for all those months and it would be hard to explain the fact that though it had started as something he'd done for earth, it had become all he'd ever wanted. They had to get a new ship, or find some way of building onto Zim's voot because there was no way they were getting the LadyBug back now (they should've grabbed it while they were there) and no way this ship would make it far.
There was a whole list of things to do, all of the uncertain future. His grip on Zim's fingers tightened as large green and blue spaces turned to tiny dots of civilization. They would figure it out. They always did.
Only the epilogue left!