Zim's Base
After an hour-long rant by Zim's Computer. Tak and the others made their way back to the living room. Gir was playfully kicking his legs watching the scary monkey show on the floor, Gaz was talking to her Dad seemingly about the entire situation on the couch but paused for a moment to give Tak one of her deadly stares, making the Irken gulp and shudder.
"Everything alright now son?" The Professor asked, getting off the couch.
"Yeah" Zim and Dib said at the same time, causing them to give each other dirty looks.
"He was talking to ME Zim!" Dib whined
"Liar! He looked at me!" Zim yelled back.
"Now now that's enough of that you two!" Membrane said while separating the two.
He also looked at Tak in the background suspiciously.
"Now there shouldn't be anymore threats on my daughter's life right?" he asked.
Dib went to speak but Zim cut him off.
"For the meantime no there shouldn't be, but once word gets out that Tak FAILED MISERABLY once again!" he shouted in her face with a grin. She grit her teeth and held back the urge to shoot him.
"My leaders will want to retaliate, HOWEVER I intend to beat them to the punch! According to Tak we have two days until they know something's up." He finished.
"Darn I was hoping this whole mess was over with," Membrane said, running his hand through his hair.
"It WOULD have been if it wasn't for those two!" Zim shouted and pointed to Dib and Tak.
"Hey! You—!" Dib began to argue before Tak nudged him with her elbow.
"Don't waste your breath Dib! It's like talking to a brick!" she sneered.
"Watch your damn mouth! YOU'RE lucky you're even breathing right now!" Gaz snapped.
The Professor stood between the four of them uneasy, trying to remain neutral and avoid an all out brawl.
"Everyone please! This is no time to be fighting!" Membrane begged.
"I'm leaving anyway!" Tak snarled.
"Wait!" Dib said quickly, grabbing her hand.
"Dad! I know you don't know Tak very well, but I have a plan, and it involves both of you! Can we take her back to our lab?" Dib asked excitedly.
Membrane scratched his head and pondered for a minute. Tak looked at the tall, powerful-looking human nervously.
"Depends… you have no more desire to kill my grandchildren, do you?" He asked darkly.
Tak sighed. "I never did, I assure you, I never had a choice in the matter!"
Dib gave his father pouty eyes and looked back and forth between him and Tak.
"Then I don't see a problem, but I'm not dropping my guard," he replied
Membrane turned around to Zim and Gaz
"Will you two be alright? Do you need my assistance with anything before I go?" He asked.
"We'll be ok Dad, and don't work too hard! You're not a young man anymore!" Gaz said sternly before giving Dib a threatening look.
He was frightened at first but knew where Gaz was coming from. Their father, the great man of science, was still just a man. A man in his 60s complaining about heart problems, at that.
"I promise I won't let Dad work too hard Gaz!" Dib said with a smile.
Gaz shrugged. "Better not" she grumbled.
Tak tugged at Dib's trenchcoat suddenly.
"I need your help," she said through gritted teeth.
"You need me? For what?" he asked eagerly.
"Your sister destroyed my disguise! So… I'll need you to hide me in your trench coat," she muttered angrily.
Dib bit his lip and played with his hair nervously.
"Oookay! How?" he asked.
She climbed up his back and held on to him piggyback style and covered herself under his coat.
"Like this!" she answered.
"Hahahaha! This is so weird! I have an Irken backpack!" Dib cracked up before Tak started to choke him to shut him up.
Dib cleared his throat and composed himself.
While they headed out the door, Membrane gave Gaz one last hug before leaving.
"Don't hesitate to call me if you need anything! I MEAN IT!" he shouted.
"I will, Dad," she answered.
Gaz closed the door behind him before quickly being embraced from behind by Zim. She giggled slightly while he seemingly inhaled her scent.
"I thought they'd never leave," he whispered in her ear before giving it a light nibble making Gaz gasp.
He kissed along her neck and turned her around to face him. He sighed deeply and rested his head on her shoulder.
"I missed you," he said before kissing her lips gently.
"I missed you too," she whispered before kissing him and slightly playing with his antennae.
"SMOOCHES!!! I WANT SMOOCHES TOO!" Gir screeched and jumped on top of Zim's head. Zim frowned and grabbed him and put him gently on the ground.
Gaz whipped out the remote for the T.V. out of her pocket and turned on Sailor Moon, one of Gir's favorite shows.
"Oh my God! Gir! Sailor Moon is on!" She yelled pointing to the T.V.
Gir screamed and ran around the base.
"Ahhh I gotta find my dress!!! I can't watch it without my dress!!!" He cried.
Zim smirked. "Good call! that should keep him busy."
"We have at least 7 hours, I bought 2 seasons," she grinned evilly
"Are you sure you're alright though? Should I have my computer scan you to be safe?" He asked before putting his hand on her stomach, feeling the hard metal.
"What the—!?" He yelled.
"Oh, I forgot about that. Dad made me wear this weird pregnancy armor thing he invented," Gaz explained.
"I see, genius," Zim said quietly.
Gaz started to take off her jacket. "Yeah, it seems to work well, but it IS uncomfortable."
Zim picked her up and started walking towards the bedroom he created for them a couple years ago.
"I bet all those clothes are uncomfortable… we need to remove them immediately!" He grinned.
"You're such a dork!" she laughed before kissing him.
They entered the room and Zim put Gaz down gently on the bed.
"You're 100% sure you're alright?" He asked again.
Gaz sighed and began to take off the weird contraption her dad gave her.
"I feel fine, but if you want to scan me to make sure, that's fine," she answered.
"Computer!" Zim shouted.
"I'M NOT DOING ANYTHING WHILE YOU'RE IN THERE… Not ever again…" Computer complained.
"Relax can you just check Gaz real quick? Make sure everyone is ok!" He ordered.
"FIIINE!" The AI complied and scanned Gaz quickly.
"She and the babies… smeets… whatever they are… are in good health, however I suggest not straining yourself Gaz human...And with that I'm out!" The computer suggested.
Zim stood lost in thought for a moment. Gaz looked at him curiously.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
"We need to call them something… different! They are neither Irken smeets or human babies…" he wondered.
"What about Beets?" Gaz laughed.
"Eeh? Beets?" He asked while taking off his gloves and tossing them to the ground.
"Babies… smeets… beets!" She explained.
"Hmm I suppose that makes sense," he said, taking off his boots and sitting beside her on the bed.
Gaz wrapped her arm around the back of his neck and pulled him in for a deep kiss while he stroked his claws through her hair with one hand and placed his other hand on her belly. He broke the kiss to laugh lightly with a sigh of relief.
"I was so afraid, Gaz… I know it was foolish of me to doubt your abilities, but fear clouded my judgement," Zim confessed softly in her ear, continuing to rub her stomach.
He sighed with relief upon feeling his offspring as lively as ever. Gaz moved his face to hers, sensing a change in his demeanor.
"Damn Zim…you really think I'm that helpless?" She teased.
He held her hand. "No not at all, I just cannot stand the thought of losing you! Any of you!" He said, kissing her again and holding her closely.
He sighed again before letting her go slowly.
"As much as I WANT to make up for lost time Gaz love…There's just too much at stake right now," he said, looking away from her.
Gaz pouted slightly "I understand… you've been shaken up since you've come back… you feel like talking about it?" She asked, placing a hand on his shoulder.
Zim just stared ahead, "Another time, Gazlene! I have much to do!" He declared and stood up with renewed vigor.
He was about to leave but in his peripheral vision saw Gaz starting to take off her shirt.
"You're right these clothes are very uncomfortable!" She grumbled and started to take off her pants.
Zim turned around swiftly. "YOU'RE DOING THIS ON PURPOSE!" he screamed.
Gaz looked at him annoyed. "I am not, I swear! These clothes are just tearing into my skin!"
Zim stared at her, his eye started twitching and he bit his lip. Gaz stared back annoyed while changing into a dark purple nightie she got out of the closet.
"Well don't mind me… I'm just trying to get comfortable…" she said slyly before she took off her bra and dropped it on the ground.
Zim's eyes seemed to watch the black lacy fabric drop in slow motion. His eyes started to glow fiercely and he unintentionally let out a low growl. Gaz rolled her eyes and ignored him while she started to get into the bed.
"I'm taking a nap, you go do those really important things you wanted to do," she groaned.
Zim started to take off his singed and tore up shirt. "On second thought…Gaz love…" he started.
"Yes…?" she asked.
"I just survived a gruesome horrific battle…" he said, taking off his pants.
"Oh really?" She asked while looking at him with a raised brow,
"Oh yes! And here I am about to jump head first into another…" he continued while getting into the bed, snuggling next to her.
"Oh yeah?" She asked with a smirk.
He pulled her closer to him. "I think we could afford to…" he starts kissing her again and tugs at the strings of her nightie.
"Celebrate my victory," he grinned, showing off his razor sharp teeth.
"Especially since I may not be so lucky this time… no no stop thinking like that!" Zim thought to himself before blocking out his negative thoughts.
"Shut up!" Gaz said before rolling on top of him and kissing him aggressively.
Membrane House
Dib and Membrane entered their home and closed all the windows before Dib let Tak out of his trenchcoat.
"All clear Tak!" Dib said, taking off his coat.
"Finally!" She shouted and jumped down.
"Welcome to our home young lady! I've decided to use the underground lab so no one from my job will bother us," Membrane explained to her.
The Professor led the way to the basement and the two acquaintances followed.
"Dib do you mind if I call MiMi?" She asked.
"Your robot? No I don't mind," he answered
Tak pulled out a communication device from her PAK "MiMi, there's been a HUGE change of plans, my pet! I'll explain later…. Alright see to it that you do…"
Tak placed the device back in her PAK "She told me that she will tell me if the Tallest try to get ahold of me," she explained to a confused looking Dib.
"Hey Tak weird question but why does MiMi still look like a cat?" He asked as they continued down the stairs.
"She liked being a cat. She even acts like one and wants to purr, but when she tries, she still sounds robotic. When this mess was over with, I was going to help her with that," Tak explained.
Professor Membrane opened the door for them, and they slowly entered the lab. It wasn't as impressive as the company's laboratories but sufficient enough for whatever Membrane would work on in what little spare time he had. In the far left corner Dib had noticed his father's newest project. It looked like he was making futuristic baby bassinets.
"Alright son, tell me about this plan of yours," Membrane said, getting Dib's attention.
"Right! Ok! So first Tak! I have a question, the other Irkens are basically brainwashed correct?" he asked.
"Well yes and no. We mostly have our own thoughts and feelings, however, when it comes to the Tallest and the Control Brains, we must conform to whatever they want! If we have the slightest reluctance, we get shocked from our PAK and that reluctance gets erased… as well as any other emotion or thought they don't want us to have," she explained.
Dib and Membrane both seemed to reflect on this information. Dib stroked his goatee absentmindedly in deep thought.
"Interesting…You see I'm trying to think of a way to free them of that control! But an easier and faster way! Maybe then the Earth would be spared! What do you think?" he asked her excitedly.
"It SOUNDS like a good idea Dib…but honestly look how much I resisted! Now imagine at least 500 more vicious Irkens screaming and clawing at you…I'm not even counting weaponry here," she said, exasperated.
"It will take a lot of work, but I believe you're onto something Son!" Membrane shouted happily.
Tak and Dib looked at him confused.
"We can make a device… throw it into a group of Irkens, it attaches to their PAKS and it instantly begins the process," he explained.
"Yeah! If nothing else it should at least slow them down!" Dib shouted.
"I suppose it's worth a shot, but how can we convert their PAKs to Membrane technology wirelessly? And while the process begins we will still need to fend off other Irkens," Tak explained.
"Well Tak you made that awesome cryo gun weapon! Think you can make more? We can freeze them all!" Dib asked.
Tak's face dropped. "Not only is my cryo gun destroyed, but I somehow have lost the pieces during the fight with Gaz," she muttered under her breath.
"It will take weeks before I can fix it or make another one," she continued.
"That sucks! But nevertheless! I know we can do this!" Dib shouted.
"I wish I had your enthusiasm Dib, but even if this works, it's no guarantee that they will join our side!" Tak sighed.
Dib looked disappointed for a moment but shook it off. "It's still worth a try! I'd rather fight Irkens with free will than mindless zombies… well maybe one day but not right now!" He claimed.
Tak smiled at him, feeling her nervousness fade the more determined he became. Old habits died hard, and until this moment she debated with herself on whether or not she was doing the right thing.
Professor Membrane started to type controls into his computer while Dib looked over his shoulder to see what he was doing. Tak glanced at her communication device and her eyes got huge with fear
"They're calling me already? Why? I still had two days?!"
The Massive
Red snuck away from Purple the next morning to go back to the main control room. He was confident that Purple would need at least 6 hours of recovery after their escapades, giving him time to tie up loose ends. When he entered, he was greeted by about ten busted up elite soldiers that stood behind a huge and hulky Irken male. He lost half his face and covered it in cybernetic metal, but retained his purple eyes. They all saluted Red as he entered.
"Greetings My Tallest!" They shouted in unison.
Red nodded and dismissed them turning to the huge Irken in charge.
"Tell me you have good news General Sizz-Lorr!" Red said, irritated.
"My almighty Tallest! We've lost another fleet and unfortunately…Foodcourtia as a result!" he reported..
Red scoffed. "Honestly Sizz-Lorr! You're a big guy! How could you be so incompetent? These are just the Meekrob for crying out loud! I cannot believe the mighty Irken Empire is losing to these guys!" Red ranted while pacing around.
"Purple is gonna freak when he finds out… ugh," he continued while rubbing his head.
"I apologize my Tallest! It seems the Meekrob have powers we did not anticipate," Sizz-Lorr reported.
"Yeah no shit! Sizz-Lorr!" Red yelled.
Sizz-Lorr gulped and stood still while his soldiers behind him tried but still shook slightly in fear.
Red sighed in deep frustration. "Look, forget it ok just standby in the Massive until I have another mission for you, understand?"
"Yes My Tallest!" he saluted.
"Good now GET OUT OF MY SIGHT YOU FAILURES!!!" Red shouted.
They slowly left the control room. "We're the failures? Isn't he the one in charge?" one soldier mumbled under his breath.
"Shut up! Do you want to die?" another soldier whispered.
"Ah it doesn't matter… the way this war is going and with Zim sapping the control brains we're all going to die anyways," he replied.
Red listened closely to their conversation. The smaller soldiers didn't realize that the Tallest antennae were much stronger than theirs. He balled his fists in rage, but didn't let it show.
"They're lucky I need all the soldiers I can get right now, but I will make it a point to teach those grunts a lesson later," he thought.
He shook his head in an attempt to clear his mind. He turned to the technicians once again.
"Any word from Tak?" He asked.
"Forgive me my Tallest but do we not have more important matters to discuss?" one technician boldly asked, causing the others to panic.
"I ASKED YOU A QUESTION!" Red yelled thunderously before impaling him with a PAK leg that went straight through to his PAK, electrocuting him and the workers beside him.
The other workers all screamed and trembled with fear. Red retracted his Pak leg before addressing the rest of them.
"Does anyone else have anything they want to get off their chest?! Anyone? Anyone? I have alll day smallers! And I've got some new weapons I've been dying to try out," he threatened while looking at his subordinates with a crazed look.
"Do you all need to be reminded about your place?" he asked with a sinister grin.
Everyone shook their heads no with haste.
"You! Summon the janitor drones! Have them clean up the bodies!" he pointed to a random Irken who gave a quick salute.
"You! Contact Tak!" he pointed to another frightened crew member.
She hurried to the computer and began typing rapidly. She could feel Red's eyes that seemed to burn through her skull while she tried tracking Tak's whereabouts. She tried to get through to her ship, but there was no response.
"Suspicious… she couldn't possibly be having this much trouble against a pregnant lifeform," he grumbled while tapping his claws impatiently.
The poor Irken technician started to sweat while she desperately tried to find any other way to communicate with Tak.
"Bring up her PAK data…" Red ordered through gritted teeth.
She obeyed typing swiftly. A picture of Tak appeared on screen followed by flashing red Irken symbols.
"OFFLINE?!" Red growled furiously.
Zim's Base
Zim strolled into the lab refreshed and gleeful ready to work on fixing Mini Moose and the rest of the repairs he needed to make. He couldn't stop smiling while working on his minion.
"You make me sick…" Computer sighed.
Zim just snickered in response.
Zim enjoyed what was sure to be momentary silence in the lab, but his thoughts began to wonder.
"Computer, tell me again, how did I get taller?" He asked while continuing his work.
"Zimmmm, I really don't feel like having this conversation again," he droned.
"If it was just a simple body change from being here too long then it shouldn't be so hard! Is there more to it that you're not telling me?"
"YES! OK! I didn't want to tell you about the recessive Tallest gene! Happy now? In your state of mind at the time you would've stormed the Massive and gotten yourself UTTERLY DESTROYED!" The Computer yelled.
Zim gulped and stopped suddenly. He knew it was true, he'd been thirsty for revenge for years and having THAT kind of power and validation would've triggered that rage further.
"I made a judgement call! It's not because I'm NOT top of the line! As a matter of fact I—!"
"Yes yes Computer I know! You've been ranting about it long enough," Zim muttered the last part under his breath.
The Computer sighed, annoyed, and Zim tried turning Mini Moose on.
"..MOO!" the purple moose shouted.
"Moo? Argh! Guess you're still broken! What the hell did she do to you?" Zim grumbled before trying to fix him again.
Time flew by as Zim continued to work on his little minion and various repairs he needed to make simultaneously. He had a habit of getting lost in his work. It was just the way he was. It was soothing to him, especially now that he no longer had a time limit on his life. As enjoyable as his solitude was, however, the quiet always brought more nagging questions to his mind.
"Computer?"
"Whaaaaaat?"
"Did you also lie when you told me that Gaz and I shouldn't have been able to conceive?"
The computer sighed.
"No I didn't, it's true that the Tallest are the only Irken males able to reproduce, however this is normally only with other Irkens. Never in the history of our kind has an Irken ever mated with another species. Plus our Irken race closely resembles that of the Earth reptiles which last I checked are NOT compatible with a mammal…" the Computer explained.
"So yeah…. It came as a surprise to me as well," he finished.
Zim nodded in agreement and finished up Mini Moose's repairs.
"That should do it," he said, taking off his gloves and removing his goggles before turning him on again.
Mini Moose twitched a bit before greeting his master happily.
"Nya!"
Zim sighed and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
"FINALLY! I'm glad you're functional again Mini Moose! Go give Gaz a break and watch Gir, I have to continue the repairs on my weapons and defenses," he ordered.
"Nyah!" The moose squeaked before leaving.
"Computer! Can you track the Massive? I need to calculate how long it will take them to get here," Zim asked.
"Oh man… are you prepared for me to zoom out for hours?" he replied.
"Hours?! Fine whatever it takes!" Zim answered and leaned back in his chair. He put his arms around his head and gently rocked back and forth. He heard the elevator come down and the door open. He smiled to himself, knowing exactly who it was.
Gaz walked up yawning and stretching her arms.
"You're not done yet? You've been down here for hours!" She said wearily.
Zim motioned to his lap for her to sit down.
"Irk kicked my ass Gaz! Almost all of my equipment was RUINED but luckily not beyond my brilliant fixing capabilities!" He explained.
She sat on his lap casually. "I'm surprised you admit that you got your ass beat…I'm almost proud of you," she smirked.
"Well it wouldn't have been so bad if I didn't have to babysit your horrible ugly brother unit!" He hissed.
"Mmmhmm," Gaz hummed.
"I'm serious! Big headed bastard ran off with Tak in the middle of the damn battle!" Zim yelled.
"Ew!" Gaz grumbled.
"Because of that I'm short a man now…" Zim snarled.
"Zim…" Gaz started to say before Zim hugged her tightly.
"I refuse to lose anyone else! That's why I've been working so hard! This battle will be against the elites, the remaining invaders and of course…The Tallest themselves," he ranted.
"So this is really it huh? The moment you've been waiting for? Sucks!" Gaz said with a frown.
"What do you mean Gaz?" He asked.
"It just sucks that I won't be able to rip their antennae out of their stupid heads and shove them down their throats is all" she spat with crossed arms.
Zim smirked and kissed her forehead. "Nope no violence for you Gaz! But Zim will make sure to get some hits in for you!"
"You better! Make them suffer… slow" she said darkly with a grin making a fist.
"Of course! They still have to pay dearly for even THINKING about harming you" he replied holding her close to him once again.
"Now get out of here! You're too distracting!" He screamed
"What?" She scoffed
"You heard me! You've only been down here two minutes and I already want to mate you again!" He yelled
That made Gaz laugh and kiss his forehead before getting off his lap
"That's fair I guess, but I can help out with the repairs and check this out!" She started
"Gir! Come show Zim what you ate!" She ordered
A streak of silver and cyan appeared in a flash.
"Hiii master! Lookie this stuff made me siiiick!" He screeched and threw up various bolts, screws and metal pieces.
"Hmmm interesting looks like pieces of a gun" Zim said looking upon the mess.
"COMPUTER! examine the metallic mess Gir just created!" Zim commanded.
"It seems that these are the same parts from Tak's cryo gun!" The computer answered
"Awesome I have an idea for this! Zim what we made cryo grenades instead?" Gaz asked
"Yes….yes… Gaz love you are a genius but of course it's only because you've been around me for so long" Zim beamed
Gaz elbowed him in the gut making him grunt in pain and rub his stomach with a pout.
"What do you think computer? Can it be done?" She asked
"Affirmative, we just need a good power source and to replicate the parts" he answered
"Awesome! Okay Zim I'm going to work on this little project you go… I don't know fix some shit!" She said
"Very well…" he said, putting his goggles on and picking up a blow torch heading for his Voot Cruiser.
"Incoming transmission from Moo Ping 10!" Computer shouted
"Oh yes prisoner 777 I've been expecting his call" Zim said
"Who's that?" Gaz asked
"One of the Vortian scientists that created the Massive!" Zim answered pressing a button on the wall.
Soon a container of Vortian children appeared in the center of the room.
"Hi Uncle Zim!!!" one child screamed
"We gonna see Daddy?" another one asked
"I wanna play with Gir!"
"1, Do not call me that! 2. Yes he's calling right now and 3. No he tried to eat you!" Zim answered
The screen flickered a bit and soon enough a very beaten and tired looking Vortian's face appeared on screen.
"Zim?" He whispered
"Yes I'm here… why are you whispering?" Zim said quietly
777 laughed softly "I don't know what you've done Zim but it seems the Irken Armada is in an uproar right now, half of them believe your dead, it would be better for you if they continued to think that" he explained
"Ha! Ignorant fools as if I" Zim gloated
"Can I please see my children?" He interrupted
Zim growled irritated but complied "Computer get a close up of the kids" he commanded
"Okay" the computer moved the container closer into the Vortian's view.
"DADDY!!!" they screamed in unison
Gaz snuck behind Zim "Haven't you had these guys for over ten years? How are they still so young?" She whispered
"Vortians age slower… kinda like Irkens" he answered
"When we gonna see you again Daddy?" One of the children asked with big eyes
"Won't be much longer now honey ok?" The Vortian sobbed slightly
"Okay that's enough of that! We have business to discuss!" Zim snapped and the kids were taken back underground.
"Vortian! I need you to release the schematics of the Massive to me once again! I know for a fact they summoned you for upgrades recently, what were they?" Zim asked
The Vortians groaned in annoyance and rubbed his head
"Zim, why are you doing this? If I were you I'd lay low until the empire falls. They're losing you know?"
"Yes I know but I'm afraid that's not an option, it's come to my attention that the real reason the Tallest hate me so much is because I am obviously the superior Tallest!" Zim replied while pacing the room
"You're a Tallest?" 777 asked surprised
"My dumbass Computer JUST decided to inform me that I had a recessive Tallest gene! It all makes sense now! They were jealous of me! So you see Vortian? They won't rest until they know I'm dead" Zim continued
"I guess that makes sense… kinda" he responded softly
"The schematics Vortian! Gimme!" Zim commanded
"Okay okay!" He said and quickly looked around to see if he was being watched.
He pulled out a usb like device from his uniform
"All the latest information on the Massive and it's upgrades are in this drive, but I have no way to get it to you" he whispered
"Hold on" Zim said before typing in some controls and in a flash a black and red mini drone flew to Moo Ping 10 in seconds.
The speedy ship flew past the guards straight into the Vortian's cell and received the device before heading back to Zim's base.
"Your assistance will be noted Vortian… You can expect to be released soon… On one condition" Zim smirked
"Ugh what is it Zim?"
"When my preparations for battle are complete…You will join me" Zim said rubbing his hands together with an evil grin
The Prisoner laughed "I'm 2 feet tall! I'm a scientist not a warrior! What the hell am I gonna do?"
"You better figure it out! I need all the recruits I can get to take down the empire!" Zim shrieked
Gaz put her hand on Zim's mouth shutting him up.
"Hey Vortian Guy! I know we've never been formally introduced but from where I'm standing you owe Zim! You better be ready to fight for him because this is the guy that's kept your kids away from the empire" Gaz threatened
"He also threatens to erase them from the universe" he responded
"So? At least they're alive and taken care of! You saw them! Would they be better off as slaves like the rest of your people? Where would they be right now if Zim didn't take them?" She asked
"I… uhhh… I" He stammered in response
"I assume you don't know so I'll help you out… They'd be killed because they wouldn't be useful to the empire" she finished
The Vortian gasped and stared with his mouth dropped.
"You're… right…" he said stunned
"Of course she is! So you see you owe me!" Zim said
"Fine Zim! You got a deal, though I still don't know how much help I'll be" he confessed
"You can start by getting a hold of that feeble resistance group I've heard about!" He ordered
"Wait! How do you know"
"Bye!" Zim interrupted and cut the transmission
Membrane House
While Dib and Membrane were working on the computer, Tak was pacing around the room grabbing her antennae and cursing in Irken.
"Whoa Tak what's wrong?" Dib asked
"The Tallest! They tried to contact me already! I thought I had more time! When Red finds out I failed him again…" she ranted and groaned in frustration
"Hey calm down! It will still take them time to get here right?" Dib asked
Tak took a deep breath "Yes the good news is I know for certain they are far from Earth but I also know they've gotten upgrades recently, even so I'd say we have at least two of your earth months until they arrive" she guessed
"See? Don't worry we have time!" Dib said, trying to calm her down.
"Not much time Dib…" Tak growled lowly
"Tak I know you're scared but when this is over you'll never have to answer to them again!" Dib said
Tak growled and pushed him to the ground "You have NO IDEA what they're capable of Dib! You speak nonsense!" She yelled
Dib grumbled before picking himself up and Tak looked at him with guilt in her eyes
"I'm sorry Dib, it's just I feel like this is a losing battle! It's just us and Zim vs the rest of the Irken empire!" She complained
"They would send the entire empire here? Just for what? Zim?" Dib asked
"It wouldn't be the first irrational decision the Tallest have made…God that feels good to say!" She laughed slightly before composing herself.
She cleared her throat "Dib I cannot thank you enough for everything you've done for me, but I'm sorry I won't be joining you in this battle" she said softly
Dib looked at her wide eyed "What? Why not? YOU'RE NOT GOING TO TURN YOURSELF IN ARE YOU?" He panicked
"No! No! I'm just going to lay low until this war is over, since they can't track my PAK anymore it should be easy enough" she explained
Dib sighed and looked away from her "Well I won't stop you Tak, I understand you gotta look out for yourself" he said dejected
Professor Membrane just looked at them and shook his head before continuing his work. Tak looked down and held her arms.
"I'm sorry Dib especially since it's my fault that they're coming in the first place, I'll help you in anyway I can before they arrive but I'm NOT going to fight them" she said
"It's okay Tak, I understand and I wish you the best okay?" Dib said
"Damn it Dib fight me on this! Demand my allegiance! Insult me! Make this easier for me!" She thought to herself looking at him.
"Question? How do you plan on surviving without the nutrients and power sources of the PAK?" Membrane asked suddenly
"Pardon?" Tak asked
"I was able to free you from the Control Brains but you still need your life sustaining power from them, that's why Zim went to your home planet" he explained
Tak's face dropped "Oh my God… I'm… I'm at that bastard's mercy!" She screamed
"Yeah… I'm sorry Tak I should've grabbed a container for you but everything happened so fast!" Dib shouted
"There's no way he's going to let me just leave!!! Aghhhh!" She yelled into her hands.
Dib slowly touched her shoulder slightly afraid she'd hurt him again. Instead she grabbed his hand slightly.
"You really are insane to keep trying to console a woman who's almost killed you so many times" she said softly
"Yeah I guess I am" Dib laughed "But seriously Tak, I'm sure the empire has plenty of enemies waiting to strike! It won't be just us and even if it is, don't you want a little piece of the action?" Dib asked
Tak smirked and hugged him "Well it's not like I have a choice in the matter anymore, so I might as well have some fun, even we do get eradicated" she mumbled
The Massive
"I want EVERYONE in the control room! Every Invader, elite, fleet commander! At attention now!" Red screamed
Soon the control room was flooded to the brim with the Irken soldiers, so much so they all struggled to fit.
"Red! What's going on, what are you doing?" Purple yelled while maneuvering through the crowd
"We're taking a break from this stupid war that we're losing anyway due to your incompetence! Instead I have a new mission for you all, MAYBE it will even boost your morale!" Red announced
"Oh no" Purple said out loud
"Oh yes! We're going to Earth! We'll take the planet's inhabitants and force them to fight for us, giving us more expendable soldiers for the war and IF you just happen to come across Zim…"
"Red!" Purple yelled and tugged at him
"You have permission to utterly destroy him!" Red shouted with a wicked smile
The crowded room of soldiers chatted amongst themselves less enthusiastic than Red had hoped for. He growled and fought back the urge to get violent again.
"What is this too hard of a mission? We are the greatest warrior race in the universe! If we can't conquer a stupid planet like Earth than we certainly have no hope of defeating the Meekrob!" He said with disdain
A relatively tall elite Irken soldier raised his hand timidly.
"Yes Set? What is it?" Red asked annoyed
"Forgive me my Tallest… This mission makes sense in theory but isn't it light years away from here?" He asked
Red turned to the navigators "Estimate destination time!" He ordered
"My Tallest even with our newly enhanced power core and boosters, we are at least 182.5 days away" they answered
The crowd murmured to themselves.
"Then we should change course right away! No time to waste!" Red commanded
Red dismissed everyone before retreating back to his bed chambers being followed by Purple.
"Hey Red! Do you mind telling me why you felt the need to do this behind my back? Huh? Huh?" He asked loudly
"Shut up Purple!"
"No! I want answers!" Purple whined
"I looked up Tak's PAK data and guess what? It's offline!" He snapped
"What?" Purple gasped
"There is no way a pregnant lower life form from Zim's disgusting exile planet defeated an Irken assassin! He's alive Purple! I know it!" He hissed
"How powerful are these Earth beasts?" Purple wondered while they continued to their destination.
"As long as they're not beings of pure energy like the Meekrob I see no reason to fear them" Red replied
"I guess you're right...I wish you would chill out though!" Purple whined again
Red entered the room and sat on the bed and picked up a tablet like device "What do you want to eat Purp?" He asked with a smirk
"NOW you're speaking my language! I want donuts!" He cheered
"Tsk..Tsk…Well that's a shame" he said
Purple's face cringed "What do you mean Red? What are you talking about? We can't… we can't possibly be out of donuts! ARE WE? ARE WE???" He began to panic
"Afraid so babe! I forgot to tell you we lost Foodcourtia" Red smirked
Purple dropped to the floor and gasped. His eyes bulged out of his head and pounded the ground repeatedly.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!! WHY!!!!!!!!!"
Tears spilled from his eyes, his chest heaved causing him pain. He crawled up to Red in disbelief.
"If… if this is a joke… it's not funny" he said through cracked sobs
"I'm afraid I'm very serious Purple but there is hope" Red said slyly wiping tears from Purple's eyes.
"Earth...has donuts!" Red licked his lips
Purple's face twisted with rage.
Zim's Base
"So you're a Tallest now?" Gaz asked while working.
"Yeah but I just found out today, THANKS COMPUTER!" He growled
"I regret nothing" the computer replied
"How did you not know Master? EVEN I KNEW!!!" Gir screamed happily
Zim growled and continued working on the Voot Cruiser ignoring the robot. Suddenly the room started flashing red and blaring alarms.
"OH SHIT! THE TALLEST ARE CALLING!" Computer shouted
"Just ignore them!" Zim yelled
"I can't! Oh shit! They're gonna get through! Get out of here! It's a video call!" Computer panicked
"Ha let them!" Zim started before Gaz grabbed him and hid them behind Zim's Voot Cruiser. In an instant the alarms stopped and the Tallest appeared on the screen.
"I told you he's not here Red!"
"Irken AI Model 57 alpha report!" Red commanded
"Yes My Tallest!" Computer answered
"Report Food Service Zim's whereabouts immediately" he ordered
"Food Service Drone Zim has been deactivated for some time now my Tallest!" Computer answered
"Told you!" Purple gloated
"That was NOT what I asked!" Red griped
The Computer made a gulping sound. Zim snarled and restrained himself from blowing his cover and telling them off. Gaz made sure he stayed put by gripping his arm tightly.
"Insufficient data!" Computer replied
"Well if ANY DEFECTS ARE NEARBY" Red screamed "I just want to let said DEFECTS know that the entire Irken Armada is heading straight for Earth!"
"Motherfuc-" Zim growled but Gaz grabbed him and held him down harder.
"We will arrive in six earth months, we will do what we do best and enslave and destroy everything on this mud ball, however this can be avoided" Red continued
"All you have to do is face me yourself!" Red finished
"And SURRENDER THE DONUTS!!!" Purple interrupted
Red frowned "Yes forfeit the donuts and face me yourself, unless of course you're too afraid" he snickered
"I'll contact you again in three Earth months for your response" Red ended the transmission.
A/N: SORRY this took so long! Also want to give a special shout out to some queens! RavenFollower13, Monofpoke4life, and VetnanGal13! These girls are so talented and I'm sure you've read their stories here (if you haven't you're missing out! Top tier IZ content!) Their input helped me greatly! Love you girls!
Another Note! We are halfway to the end of this! Thanks for making it this far! I plan to end this by either the 20th or 25 chapter :) Thanks again for reading!