Once again Zim and Dib were transported to another room where the battle simulation would begin. This time not only did holograms of Red and Purple appear but also the rest of the living invaders and a group of elite soldiers.
"Hmm let's start with target practice mode level 1!" Zim suggested as he typed in the controls on a nearby console.
"In this mode Dib-Stink, the targets will move but will not fire back this should give your inferior human mind time to process how your new weapons will work!" He explained whilst checking out the gun he had stolen from Dib earlier.
Dib looked at his new gauntlets excited to try them he began to charge them "What power level should I start with? Does it matter? Does affect speed?"
"Yes but not by much! The more powerful the level the slower it gets, I suggest level 5 like you used before" Zim explained and decided to unload the contents of Dib's gun on Purple "….beans? Really Dib Worm? This is what you were so excited about?" he asked disappointed.
Dib looked embarrassed "Hehe I uh… grabbed the wrong gun… but HEY LOOK IT WORKED!" he shouted. It was true the hologram of Purple bloated and deformed and writhed in pain! Zim smiled evilly.
"Although I admit I love seeing my former stupid leader in agonizing pain, it's not fatal, therefore USELESS!!!" he screamed as he threw the weapon on the ground.
"Damn Zim calm down! That's what this training is for stupid!"
"You're stupid! Now fire your stupid lasers at the targets!" Zim commanded
Dib now fully charged did as he was told and fired at the group of elite soldiers first obliterating them instantly! "DAMN THAT FELT AWESOME!" he cried out with glee and readied another blast at the scattered Invaders trying to be faster this time. He didn't hit all of them but almost!
"Hmm you're doing better than I thought Dib… you might not be so useless after all!" Zim remarked as he also got ready to try out his weapons starting with his new and improved galactic Gatling gun he whipped out of his PAK! A maniacal grin spread across his face as he unloaded on Red this time! "MUHAHAHAHAHA! And to think Dib I actually had YOU in mind when I made this HAHAHA!!!!" he laughed insanely while Dib looked in horror.
"ISN'T THAT A BIT OVERKILL??? Dib shrilled still looking at Zim unloading plasma lasers into the holographic Red for what seemed like hours. He felt awkward and uneasy "HEY ZIM!" he shouted over the noise of the lasers! Zim was still shooting at Red his laughter had stopped and his face turned from insanely happy to bloodthirsty and serious. "ZIM!!?" he called again but was still ignored as the alien kept shooting Dib decided to sneak behind him and lightly tap him to get his attention, this almost cost him his life. As soon as Dib laid the slightest finger on him, Zim grabbed his arm and twisted it behind his back almost breaking it and stomped on his back with his boots. "AGHHHHH! ZIM STOP!!! YOU MORON!!!" Dib cried out in pain. It took Zim a while but eventually he got out of his bloodthirsty trance long enough to get back to his senses while he slowly let go of Dib's arm and backed up
"It isn't wise to sneak up on me Dib Stink…. Irkens are always ready to kill remember that!" Zim warned darkly.
Dib was still on the ground breathing heavily low key becoming terrified of his former nemesis, realizing just how much Zim had changed since last they fought. "Zim was always tough but he was never THAT tough! And I've never seen him so serious in a battle before, simulation or not! What the hell happened to him? Is this really just because he's being deactivated?" Dib wondered to himself.
"Are you just going to lay there all day pathetic earth worm?" Zim asked annoyed.
Dib got up and glared at Zim "I was just TRYING to get you to change up the training level! I wanted to see how I stacked up against these Invaders!" he whined.
"Very well let's crank this up a notch to level 4! In this mode the holograms will fire back! You won't die but you will get shocked with every hit!" Zim informed while once again inputting commands into the console.
Meanwhile Back In Zim's Lab
It had been 5 hours since Dib and Zim entered the training simulation and Professor Membrane was still studying all the Irken Technology whilst trying to work on Skoodge's PAK without hurting him. "I apologize for this… Skudge?" Membrane began
"Invader Skoodge! Sir!" Skoodge corrected with a salute stuck in his old habits.
"Right Skoodge! I'll try and remember that!" The Professor declared before getting a call from Gaz. "Hello Daughter!"
"Hey Dad! I figured you're planning an all nighter so I'm bringing you and the guys some coffee and energy drinks!" she said
"Oh that's great honey! I was just starting to cross eyed staring at these screens for so long" he laughed
"Also I'm taking Zim back with me! He's been gone all day! He can work on whatever it is he's working on tomorrow!" she griped
"Of course honey! He should be with you right now! Hopefully he and Dib will come back soon" he replied.
"Come back? Where are they? Nevermind I'll be there soon" she hung up.
Almost on cue Zim and Dib were teleported to the lab. Both of them singed, bruised and exhausted. Gir who had been watching his shows this whole time ran up to them happily! He jumped on his master's head pulling his antennae painfully! Then he jumped on Dib's head pulling the scythe cowlick of his hair!
"IM SO HAPPY YOU TWO ARE PLAYING AGAIN!! I WANNA PLAY TOOOOO!" Gir screamed as he bounced between them back and forth. They both groaned in pain.
"Can't you turn him off for a little while?" Dib asked wearily.
"No… Dib filth… unfortunately I cannot" Zim answered as he rubbed his sore head.
"I'm glad you two are back as well! I've made some progress with my PAK research! Of course it's still not perfected… but I am confident we can at least prevent Zim from being deactivated in a few days!" Membrane declared proudly
Skoodge still hooked up was happy as well "He managed to get rid of my need to serve the Tallests just like you said Zim! This is great! Instead of serving them I want to murder them!" he shouted excited over his new found freedom!
"YES SKOODGE! WE WILL DESTORY THEM! MAKE THEM RUE THE DAY THEY EVER CROSSED US!!!" Zim yelled with a fist in the air!
"It's true I have modified Skoodge's PAK but it remains to be seen if the effects are permanent… also I have no way of accessing the materials needed to sustain you both but as far as re encoding and deactivation goes in time you should be immune to those control brains" Membrane explained.
"SOMEONE IS AT THE DOOR!" the computer yelled
"Onscreen" Zim ordered
A pretty purple human and a floating moose appeared on screen. Zim perked up as if he hadn't been training non stop for hours!
"It's my GAZ! Let her in and quickly take me to the living room at once!" he commanded
"What's the magic wooord?" computer teased
"Don't be a dick computer!" Zim barked.
The computer did as he was told and Zim greeted Gaz speedily "Gaz Love! Are you ok? Did something happen? Is mini moose bothering you? Did you not have enough food? Did"
"Zim calm down! I'm fine! Mini moose is fine we just came to give Dad some stuff to help him stay up all night!" she explained
Mini moose floated up to his master to report "NYA!"
"Nothings changed? Good… I guess" Zim replied
"What did he say?" she asked with a raised eyebrow
"He told me your vitals have been stable all day and that you haven't been in any distress"
Gaz laughed "You got all that information from one word?"
"Genius yes?" Zim smiled
Dib, Professor Membrane and Skoodge soon appeared in the living room. Gaz eyed her brother's new arm gauntlets "Zim? Why does Dib have those? I remember you said you were working on gauntlets for ME?" She growled.
Dib scoffed "Well you're kinda pregnant Gaz! These would be wasted on you! Besides Zim and I are going to"
"I'M HAVING YOUR BROTHER TEST THEM OUT TO MAKE SURE THERE ARE NO GLITCHES SO WHEN YOU HAVE THEM THEY WILL BE SAFE GAZ LOVE!!!!" Zim shouted hastily interrupting Dib. He gave Dib a look that seemed to say "shut up!" Dib got the memo and shrugged.
"You're not hiding anything are you?" she glared
Zim started to sweat and dodge eye contact "Nope… nothing at all" he said through gritted teeth.
"He's a horrible liar… always has been! He's lucky this pregnancy is making me merciful" she thought to herself.
"I suppose that is an acceptable excuse!" she replied. Zim let out a relived sigh.
Gaz walked past Zim to the kitchen where she dropped off the coffee and energy drinks for her dad before giving him a hug "Thanks for helping him Dad!" she whispered
He gave her a thumbs up and she smiled before going back to Zim and dragging him by the collar "You've been here all day! You're coming with me now!" she ordered.
"Wait! Gaz let me talk to him real quick…I have a question… about the arm things.." Dib stammered
Gaz snickered "Geez Dib you really missed Zim didn't you? Alright if you want more alone time you have five minutes! Just Remember Dib he's MY man! Hahaha!"
"THAT'S SO STUPID!! UGHHH!!!" Dib whined again pulling his hair out!
Zim approached him and whispered "what is it Dib stink?"
"you're not telling Gaz about going to Irk are you?"
Zim froze "No, no need to! if all goes according to plan we'll be in and out! No big deal!"
"Things never go according to plan! And what happens if we die and Gaz is just left here waiting for us?"
"….That won't happen… it can't happen!" Zim denied
"Come on Zim! Tell her! You owe her that much! If you don't I will!"
"But then she won't let me go!"
Dib started to laugh, he started quietly but then bursted into laughter!
"HAHAHA the big bad Irken Invader has to get permission from his girlfriend hahaha!" Dib cackled
"YEAH yeah laugh it up Dib shit!" Zim blushed "At least I HAVE a girlfriend!" he grinned smugly before walking off.
Dib stood silently before replying too late "Bold of you to assume I even want a girlfriend… Oh man he's gone" he said defeated and kicked a rock as he turned to go back into the base.
Membrane house
After arriving at the house Zim sat on the couch and Gaz sat on his lap and he instinctively placed his arms around her belly. He seemed to forget for a split second that he was a Dad because he was startled when he felt the little lives within her stir! "Whoa! Already?" he laughed. Gaz smiled and looked back at him.
"I know isn't weird? According to your moose thing we've only just conceived them! I haven't even been pregnant a month yet and here they are moving around!" she laughed.
Zim continued to rub her belly and nuzzled into her neck as his antennae moved up and down her face tickling her slightly. "You have no idea just how much you mean to me Gazlene…" he whispered softly making her blush.
"I have some idea space boy" she whispered before kissing him and turned around to straddle him and continue kissing him.
"No you really don't… you can never really know…just how much you mean to me…how much purpose you've given me" Zim was lost in his thoughts as he began to hold back tears.
Gaz backed off "Zim? Are you crying?"
"NO!!! NEVER!!! Foolish human! Irkens aren't capable of crying!" Zim laughed awkwardly, blushing like mad. Gaz kissed his cheek anyways "Such a bad liar…" she thought.
A/N: Hi again readers! Sorry we still not on Irk! but it's coming I swear! Hope you liked this chapter and thank you always for taking time to read my story! I know you have your choice of fanfics and I greatly appreciate you reading mine :) Until next time