"Skoodge! Tenn! Updates." Zim requested popping up behind them.
"Their forces are fighting back and we are giving them them every ounce back." Tenn stated watching one of Earth's air vehicles fly above sending a barrage of missiles down on their tanks in which they returned their fire.
Seeing the jet do a good number on a few of their own forces, Zim had to commend the humans silently, but he honestly didn't want either killed. Damn feelings. He should of just left this planet alone.
"They don't stand a chance." She added standing proudly. Tenn was one of the good ones. He was happy to have her on his side, but seriously their females were one dimensional for the most part, but he was as well at one time until this place.
Eyeing both his Lieutenants, he placed his hand on their shoulders. "You are doing an excellent job."
Pride seeped into, Skoodge hearing that as he puffed out his stout chest. At this moment, he shouldn't of done that since a gun fire was aimed in his direction hitting the loose hem of his shirt, narrowly missing his neck. All three of them became even more alert as they scanned around for the person responsible. Hearing another shot fired, it almost reached, Zim's chest but he quickly raised himself up on his spider legs making him very lucky to also be missed. Observing his surroundings, he noticed the person and started at them fast.
The person was surprised how fast the alien moved, so he fumbled with his rifle trying to reload it, but was tackled to the ground by, Zim. Wrestling the gun away from him, Zim pinned him to the ground with his pak's legs and sneered. "Iggins. Foolish, stupid, human."
Struggling, Iggins cursed him. "I am the best and will defeat you just like I have defeated all in each game I played."
Slapping him, Zim laughed. "This is not a game human."
Stopping in his struggle, he stared at his face. "Zim? Is that you?"
No reply, Zim just gave him an evil smile. What an ego on such an annoying ugly kid.
"Dib was right about you all along? That's impossible."
Raising himself up, he grabbed him by the scruff of the neck.
"Oh but it is." He snidely whispered as he tossed him aside to let one of his soldiers pick him up. "Send him to the slave cells." Looking over at Skoodge and Tenn, he added. "Alright let us keep going. I'm going to check on other business. You are doing an excellent job."
Saluting him, they watched him blink away. Ending up in front of Professor Membranes large lab, he remembered the code Dib entered, and walked inside. It was chancy due to possible guards, but he needed to speak to Dib-stink. He forgot to give him a communicator. Traversing the corridors, he managed to avoid the staff there. Unsure where he might be he listened all around him. Meditating just by closing his eyes, and slowing his breathing, he heard the unmistakable sound of their father's voice. Walking in that direction, he was lucky to find no guard at the door his voice was still heard. Entering inside, Dib looked at him in shock. His father though just looked at him with mild interest after Dib yelled his name.
"Why are you here? Is there something wrong with Gaz?" He urgently questioned.
"Nothing is wrong with her, I assure you, she fell asleep. As for why I'm here." Handing the communicator at him, he thought that would be enough for him to leave, but that was naive of him when Dib gave him a questioning look. "I need to communicate with you about your progress and to tell you just in case my troops descend on you."
"Alright. Thanks."
"Okay. Good." Zim curtly said back, turning around to leave he felt a firm hand on his shoulder. "Yes?"
"Were you responsible for my wife's death?" Membrane asked.
Facing him, he shook his head. "Never and I don't know who is responsible for her death. Gaz told me about what happened that day."
"She never did anything wrong."
"I know. I believe that. The former Tallest got greedy in their power." Studying their fathers face seriously, he had to ask. "Either your genes are stronger then an Irkens or you experimented on, Gaz to make her more human. Did you experiment on her?"
Shaking his head, he replied. "No, but it wasn't out of my mind just in case of that. Dai and I discussed it."
"What are you both talking about, dad?" Dib demanded.
"Well son, your mother was and alien. An Irken in fact." The Professor said in his theatrical voice. "Which makes your sister half alien."
Stepping back, his eyes were wide in shock. "What?"
"She is half alien. Your mother escaped her planet because they were going to falsely persecute her for something entirely idiotic. She crash landed here where I found her. She was hurt and I nursed her back to health. During that whole time we spoke and I fell in love with her. Her death was something that had to be covered up since I couldn't have anyone cut into her for study."
"But? Huh? What? Why?" Dib stammered looking as if he was going to tear his own hair out.
"Oh son, it is alright. She is still your sister." Membrane said as he placed his hands behind his back.
Eyes and mouth wide with shock. Dib yelled out before storming out of the lab muttering things about his stupid life.
Non-pulsed about his son's attitude, Membrane looked upon Zim who stood there motionless. "I'll talk to him."
"You should talk to your daughter as well. She still blames herself for her mom's death." Zim suggested.
Eyebrows raised in shock himself. First time Zim ever saw emotion from his face. "She does? Oh she shouldn't blame herself. I'll try to talk to her. I should of then, but I was very upset."
Nodding his head, Zim turned to leave again. "Well yes talk to her. Also I must leave before they suspect. Good luck." Not waiting for a answer, Zim made haste out of the establishment. He still had plenty to do, before heading back.
While on base, Gaz woke up from a bad dream an hour ago then began to wander around the base. She only told the computer once to warn her if she was heading to a very dangerous area. Often times in the past, she never cared but right now she actually did. Sometimes when Zim gave a tour of his past base to her, he would zone out in one of his Zim-like trances so often times it made her forget where certain things were. Seeing the oddest assortment of creatures inhabiting certain areas who were obviously free in their own environment. It was like opening a door to their own planet basically. She had no clue if it was a different sort of worm hole or just what Zim had built for them to make them comfortable. Noting this place was more vast then the last base, she stopped to rub her legs as they were starting to ache.
"What is the purpose to all this space, Zim?" She asked aloud before continuing on into another room that looked like a medieval dungeon. It was musty and dank in there with the sound of visible moaning a little further down. There had to be a reason for putting a dungeon here. As she wandered further in, she noticed every ancient medieval torture device. It was very intriguing as she stopped to stare at one of the machines before hearing a voice.
"I miss snacks."
"Same here but no snacks here for... How long we been down here?"
"I dunno."
"I'm surprised he got the best of us."
"Surprised he is the Tallest now."
"See how tall he got?"
"Yes, Red, I did."
Wait! Red? Wasn't one of the Tallest named, Red? Gaz thought.
"He's bigger then us. How is that possible?" Red continued.
Gaz was curious to see what they looked like right now. She was still pretty upset, but when her anger got like this it can weigh bad against her so she had to come at this with a more clearer head. Moving silently away, she left the dungeon area to come immediately into contact with Zim, who didn't look very pleased to find her there. Taking her arm gently in his hand he lead her away until they were far enough away.
Looking down at her when they stopped, he just looked worried. "Please tell me you didn't talk to them."
"I didn't. I was just exploring when I came across that room. Why a dungeon?" She did note his face, but felt her question was more important.
"I thought it would be interesting and fitting at the same time. Once again, please tell me you didn't talk to them."
"I didn't." Hearing his sigh of relief, she took his hand. "What would be the problem if I talked to them?"
"Because I know you are hurt and you do act rashly when you are feeling that way. I may have been gone for a while, but I don't forget, Gaz." He whispered earnestly.
"You are too tall now. Hard to reach for you." Happy he bent down a little to her, she moved him to bend down a little more to lay a kiss on his cheek. "I still don't forgive you for leaving just like that, but thanks for being sweet up there."
Raising up to his full height, he nodded his head. "Zim can be sweet." Indicating with his left hand they should move along, they walked over to another elevator.
"You don't have any elevators that go up to a fake toilet, do you?" The thought of coming out of a toilet still disgusted her.
"No, I learn never to bring you up that way a long time ago." As the elevator quickly ascended up, Zim looked down at her petite form. He was so overcome with desire right now, but knew that right hook of hers. Stopping on the other end of the same hallway as where the bedrooms were, he pointed towards a door telling her that is where the living room is.
Stepping through the door, Gaz had a huge pizza in her face. "PIZZA!" Gir screamed.
"Gir! Don't do that and give us sodas so we may drink." Zim ordered.
"Okie dokie." Saluting, he flew into the kitchen where random sounds were heard.
Sitting on the couch beside him, she had to know what he did that day. Once Gir handed them their sodas and skipped off to who knows where, Zim explained what he was doing while out including going to her dad's place to hand Dib the communicator. He informed her that their father inquired if he had something to do with his wife's death, in which is a solid no. He also told her that his father told, Dib that she was half alien and how he took that.
"Yeah, I'm not surprised about that." She remarked after a few bites of her pizza.
"He'll come around. He has always been protective of you."
Smiling up at that, she took a few more bites before actually nodding her head. "We'll see." Brushing her hair back she leaned back to look him over. "You really have dwarfed me."
"It really was the Earth food that did this to me. I'm not complaining because I like being taller."
"Yes, but will you get any taller or is this it?"
Thinking long and hard about it, he ended up shrugging as he put the pizza aside. "You don't like it?"
"It is fine. I was just being curious."
"Zim has no clue." He finally said.
Silence stretched out between them. The two that were at least once pretty close that even silence still was never felt uncomfortable, until now. Both of them sat there staring at random locations of the living room. Zim, knowing exactly how he felt for her. Gaz, just was now going through the motions. He shouldn't of left. Now he has to rebuild what they had between them.