(A/N: A'ight, here we go. The home stretch.)
The ship ride back to Zim's house had eerie silence weighing down the atmosphere. It was like...each of them wanted to say something...but they just couldn't phrase it properly and kept quiet.
Tak's ship was safely loaded down into the base, which had nearly finished repairing itself. The virus introduced by the Swollen Eyeballs had luckily been removed.
After Zim finished transporting the frequency device to the Tallest, he noticed Tak and MiMi over by the prepared ship. He gulped, then marched over to them. GIR and Skoodge joined him. Zim was feeling anxious about what was about to happen.
"So, uh..." he began awkwardly.
"So." Tak gave him a hard look.
She'd been spending a lot of time thinking about Zim lately, and she was ready to let him know just how she felt. But she wanted to hear him out first.
"Look," Zim had to sigh heavily before allowing himself to continue. This was the most emotional experience of his life, and it all caused him a little discomfort, but he had to have closure with Tak by speaking his "feelings".
"I...I am very sorry for deceiving you so brilliantly. All along, I was just lying because...well, at first it was because I feared you would overpower Zim, but, uhm, a lot has happened and honestly, I just didn't want you to leave. I l-l-l...hl...like you, quite a bit. And you should know that."
He looked up for a second. Tak was just staring at him, almost expressionless. Everyone else stood rapt at attention.
"You are surprised, no?"
Tak didn't respond or react in any way.
Zim let a sigh escape him again, this time out of disappointment."Well, I guess you want to get going now; that would be understandable."
In that moment, Tak remembered every single thing she liked about Zim, every minute she grew more and more attached to him and her hatred diminished. She realized then that she didn't need words to tell him how she felt.
Tak grabbed Zim by the face, pulled him in, and, well...put her mouth on his mouth, as Zim would put it.
His antennae stood up straight with surprise, as the others looked on in awe.
After a few seconds, Tak released him.
"I'm not done here. I've still got business to take care of on this planet, so I'm not going anywhere. Speaking of which..." She switched on her disguise."I'll be right back."
Without another word, Tak rode the elevator up.
Zim was still stunned."I...I..."
A few calculative noises sounded from above."System repairs complete."
"Heh?"
"Master, I am functional once more," informed Computer.
"Oh, good." The Irken's senses returned to him."Good! Computer, take me to the house level!"
"Fine..."
With that, a small portion of the floor beneath Zim broke off and lifted him up, up, up into the house.
MiMi looked pleased. Finally, Zim and her mistress were united! That, and they were staying on Earth!
"Nyah!" squeaked Minimoose, who was there the whole time.
GIR cheered, almost as if to express what MiMi could not."YAYYY! Happy ending!"
"Yeah, happy..." Skoodge murmured through his tears.
XXXXXXXUPABOVEXXXXXXX
Zim was relieved to have his base restored to its former beauty. He found himself watching through the window as Tak rounded the fence outside. The smile that appeared on his face went unnoticed by any sentient creature.
Even though Zim still couldn't fully comprehend his feelings for Tak, he was certainly aware of them, and glad that she was too. It took a lot for him to see the good in someone as opposed to the bad, and Tak had accomplished that, plus more. She was really incredible to him, a special kind of incredible, and that meant a lot to Zim.
Then, it hit him.
"Wait, where the heck is she going?"
"I was wondering when you would ask," Computer replied.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Finally, Dib had made his way home. As soon as he opened the door, a young man (presumably the one Gaz had mentioned on the phone before) swiftly crawled out, leaving a thin trail of blood behind him.
"Ew." Dib stepped around it, then spotted his sister chillin' on the couch."What did you do to that guy?"
"Horrible, horrible things," was all Gaz said in response. Well, she also muttered "pervert", but her brother didn't catch that.
Dib closed the door behind him and let the familiar scent of his home enter his body once more. He was sure glad it would be a while before the Swollen Eyeballs called him back. Because he was POOPED.
"I guess I'll need to get a mop for this blood- -"
Knock-knock!
"Not it," Gaz said quickly.
"Not- -D'OH!" Dib said a second too late. As Gaz snickered to herself, he reluctantly turned and opened the door.
...
Tak. Oh, no, it was Tak. Dib figured he'd have at least five years to prepare for this encounter...! What did she want from him? Well, she wasn't saying anything; just standing there! What was Dib to assume? Was she still in league with Zim? Was she still keeping secrets from him? Was this the last time Dib would ever get the chance to tell her- -
His thoughts were interrupted when she grabbed his hand, and he jumped a little, but didn't pull away.
Dib tried to put on one of those dead serious faces. Key word being "tried".
"Okay, Tak," he began."Just because I let you go today doesn't mean I'm going to let you get away with conquering Earth! I'm still planning on stopping you, and Zim, and the government...and whoever else is going to mess with this planet! Just...not today, because I'm...tired."
Slowly but surely, Tak smiled.
"Good. I wouldn't want it any other way. So! This is for helping us escape..." She tugged on Dib's hand, leaning, and kissed his cheek.
"And this is for being a lying, meddlesome little brat." She crushed Dib's hand in her grip, breaking it.
Tak released him and started heading back to Zim's place, calling back,"See you at Skool!"
Dib silently closed the door and turned around. He walked upstairs to his room and made sure to shut that door behind him as well.
Then he screamed.
XXXXXXXTHEDUMBESTSCENEXXXXXXX
When Tak returned, GIR had prepared even more nachos with waffle cheese for everyone to eat. And it was the best he had ever made. Plus, it gave Skoodge a chance to eat his sorrows away.
During the meal, Zim remembered something.
"I just remembered something!" he announced."We must inform the Tallest that you will be joining me on my mission! Being honest, I am not sure how they're going to react..."
Then Tak got an idea.
"I've got an idea," she announced.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
On the Massive, a worker on one of the many computers called out, "Incoming frequency from Planet Earth!"
"A frequency, you said?" asked Tallest Purple. He turned to his partner with curiosity."How primitive."
"It must have come in on that thing Zim just sent us," said Tallest Red."On the bright side, we don't have to look at his face."
"TRUE."
The frequency transmitter sent out its sound waves and the two Tallest gathered around it to listen. A female voice spoke out.
"This is Invader Tak."
The Tallests looked at each other and shrugged.
"...you know, Tak? The one who got blasted into space after her plan to become an invader failed, again?...I was going to...fill the planet with snacks?"
"Oh, yeah!" Purple recalled."What happened to that plan? I liked that plan!"
"He liked that plan," added Red.
"I...just said that the plan fai- -"
"What are you doing on Earth?" Red interrupted."Shouldn't you be on Dirt cleaning up after the universe?"
"I've returned to Earth with a new goal in mind. Once I locate Zim...I'm going to kill him."
"Ooh!" cooed Purple.
"Good luck with that..." Red said sarcastically."Where are you contacting us from?"
"I'm currently living in run-down building far from civilization. My only means of contacting you was this low-tech frequency transmitter."
"Yeah, yeah," continued Red."Have fun on your mission, Trak, uh, be sure to call us again when it's complete."
He signaled to the transmission guy to cut off the frequency.
"Um, it's Ta- -" It was cut.
"So, how long do you think she'll last?" Purple asked Red.
"I'd say one or two weeks before she either goes insane, gets killed, or both," he responded."If we couldn't get rid of Zim, what makes she thinks she can?"
"TRUE."
"Could you quit saying that?"
XXXXXXXBACKONEARTHXXXXXXX
Tak sat satisfied after the Tallest hung up. She had made sure that they had little faith in her success during the call. In a week or two, they would assume her dead. And if not...well, she could always have fun with calling them again.
"They bought it!" she assured Zim, GIR, MiMi, Minimoose and Skoodge behind her.
"HA!" Zim laughed in a mocking tone."As if you could hold a torch to me in combat!"
Tak crossed her arms."Okay, first of all, it's 'hold a candle'. And what's that supposed to mean?"
"If you and I were to engage in a BATTLE TO THE DEATH!" Zim exclaimed."Then ZIM would be the one emerging with all of his organs still intact!"
"That sounds like a challenge!" Tak stood.
"It wasn't. Just speculation, really."
"...oh." Tak sat again, discouraged."Well, doesn't matter. I'll still be the one to come up with the plan that sends the humans to oblivion."
"LIAR!"
"A liar? You're calling me a liar?!"
"I'm surely not calling you a truther!"
"That's not even a thing!"
As the two continued to argue (in good nature this time around), GIR and Minimoose squeaked with joy.
MiMi was little concerned as she consoled the sniffling Skoodge. All's well...would have ended well. At least they would have if Skoodge didn't end the story on this hella creepy question.
"Hey, do you think Tak is into polygamy?"
(A/N: Godammit, Skoodge...
Oh, LORDY! This story has finally been completed. PRAISE JESUS
In fact, this is not only the first fanfiction I ever published, but my first completed multi-chapter story! I hope the ending did not disappoint...
Thank you all so much for dealing with my SLACKIN', leaving nice reviews, faving and following this story for the past year or so! I'm pretty proud of this story, and y'all are a big part of why that is!
Some future plans are that I may write other Invader Zim stories that exist within this "canon" if I get requests to, or just feel like it to build upon this story. I'll state in the description when it takes place, don't worry.
Also, a little weird, but I'm going to be going back and entitling all the chapters. IDK, I just FEEL like it now.
I'm really elated to say that you can all review, fave, please point out any mistakes, and check out other IZ stories and more on my profile! *Also my sister King Koi, who writes South Park stuff* [The "TRUE." bit is a bad habit we've picked up.]
Au revoir!)