Disclaimers: I do not own Invader Zim

Author's Note's: And so here we are again with our favorite prince in denial, and Dib who is slowly seeing himself as more Irken than human. Can they do what must be done in order to complete their missions? Find out now.

(Back with Zim…)

[Midnight]

He knew Dib wasn't probably not coming home tonight.

He knew the moment he stomped out the door, Zim wasn't sure how, but he knew Dib would figure it out. That their time together was infecting his judgment, making him think like Zim rather than himself. The same was true for Zim, the longer Dib stayed away, the more Zim felt like his old self.

His Irken self.

And yet, even that Irken did not want to kill Dib.

'Stop it.' He warned. 'It's for your own good.'

Yes, he knew he had to eliminate the problem, Dib had to go.

"But I like Mary." Gir said, as if he had read his master's mind. "Mary my best friend, we love Mary."

"No Gir." Zim snapped. "This is not Love, it is an illness!"

"It is?" Gir asked.

"Yes, we are sick, The Dib has lead us astray and he must be stopped." Zim reasoned.

"But Dib is family." Gir cried.

"No Gir." Zim stated as he took out Gir's behavioral controller, and turned it on before turning it all the way up. He hadn't used this thing since Gir tried to kill him, but he needed Gir to be with him on this, so he used it.

"What is our mission Gir?" He asked him.

Gir's eyes went blood red. "To secure the planet for the Tallest, and destroy all enemies that get in the way."

"And who is the enemy Gir?" Zim asked.

Gir's eyes narrowed. "Dib…" He growled.

Zim nodded, his blaster at the ready, he had been sitting in front of the door waiting for hours now. Once the door opened he'd pull the trigger. It would be quick, and easy, and Dib would not have to suffer long.

Yes, his suffering would be over instantly, however Zim would live the rest of his days with a big hole in his chest where Dib use to be.

He would live the remainder of his life as an empty shell, a broken, and bitter spirit…

Is that what he wanted?

What did he want?

A long time ago he thought he knew, he wanted to be a soldier, he wanted to be an invader, he wanted to earn a name for himself.

But the name Invader Zim was a lie, he wasn't an invader, and since he abandoned his throne he was no longer a prince either. No, he gave his birth right to his brother, so in all reality, he was no longer in line for the throne either.

So he wasn't really an invader, and he was no longer a prince.

So what did that leave him?

"Where you really just going to shoot me?"

Zim jumped out of his seat as Dib appeared beside him. He notices the open window in the kitchen, just behind him and he realized he should have known Dib would sneak through the back of the house. He cursed underneath his breath as he tried to avoid eye contact.

"Intruder!" Gir shouted, his weapons came out of every part of his metal body. "You are not welcomed here!" he threatened, but Dib ignored the Sir unit, his eyes never leaving Zim.

"Is that all I am to you?" Dib asked. "I mean so little to you that you can't even look at me when you kill me?" he tries to catch his eye. "You can't even own up to the mess you started!"

The hand holding the blaster is shaking uncontrollably as Zim tries to aim without looking at Dib. "I have to." He whispers.

"Who says?" Dib challenged. "Who says we have to do what they want?"

"No you're trying to confuse me again!" Zim screamed. "You won't use that power over me any longer." He uses his other hand to steady his weapon. "I'm ending our relationship right now!"

"Why?" Dib asked.

"Because I have to!" Zim screamed.

"Why?" Dib asked again calmly. He makes no move to advance forward, and for good reason, he can tell by the look in Gir's blood red eye that this is a very serious situation. His loveable Gir was not present at the moment. And he could only guess that Zim had placed some kind of programing to prevent him from interfering.

And he does, sure his weapons are drawn, but Gir makes no move to kill Dib. No he's protecting Zim, from Dib. Standing in between them like a moving shield.

"What do you mean why?" Zim yelled. "I have to secure this planet, and you are in my way."

"Why because the Tallest told you to?" Dib snapped, he couldn't believe Zim would think that he would actually try to kill him. Even before this whole love mess the boy had never tried. No, he tried to warn his fellow humans, he tried to expose Zim. Never once had he tried to kill him, and yet Zim expected him to do it now.

"They are my leaders Dib." Zim reasoned. "I have orders to follow."

"Why follow orders?" Dib challenged. "You're above them Zim, you are not a soldier, this isn't your fight."

Wait, was Dib trying to talk him down? Was he honestly not going to try and fight him?

Zim looks down, and notices, Dib has no weapon! He actually trusts his decision, was the child mental? Had he lost his mind? Did he really thing he would chose him over his people, over his father, over his own flesh and blood?

"Zim for once stop listening to what other people tell you and listen to your heart." Dib reasoned. "All your life it's what they've wanted. What do you want?"

Zim bit his lip.

What did he want?

He wanted to be soldier, he wanted to earn honor, but there was no honor in this. He was stealing someone's home away from them. No, that was Dib messing with him, he didn't care about the humans, and he didn't care about Earth.

He cared about Dib, he cared about what Dib cared about.

But Dib cared about Earth, Dib cared about his people.

So, did that mean Zim did care about those things too?

"No you're trying to confuse me!" Zim shouts again, shaking his head. "Your head tricks won't work Dib!"

"Come on Zim we both know the Tallest send you out here on a wild goose chase, they never wanted Earth, even Tak said so." Dib reasoned. "Are you really going to stand by people who tried to trick you into wondering space forever? Or a father who doesn't accept you for who you are, or brothers who are plotting to kill you? Or people who will only praise you for your status?"

Zim was stunned. Dib actually knew him, and of course he knew him, the kid had been spying on him for years, and spent several more years by his side. He knew things about Zim, that not even Skoodge knew, all his insecurities…all of his flaws. But instead of turning his nose in disgust he was reaching out for him.

"Zim I love you for you." Dib admitted. "I don't care that you scream every time you talk, or that you demand every ounce of my attention 24/7. I don't care that you green, or from another planet, or that you've threaten to blow us up at least a thousand times. I love the way you have to argue over the smallest of things. I love how you always have to be right, and that cute pout you make when you're mad. The way your evil snicker makes my skin crawl, you're confident, you never give up, and you're determined to see things through even if it means losing something you care about."

Zim's eyes were as big as saucers now, because he knew Dib wasn't lying, and he wasn't being influenced by the mating ritual either.

How did he know?

Because Dib was giving him that same blushing look he gave him the day he kissed him, way before the heat drug incident even happened. That and everything Dib had said was true, he knew the Tallest didn't believe in him, and he soon did come to believe that Tak had been telling the truth about his mission being a lie, but he thought he could prove the wrong.

He thought he could make them all see him for something more than he was, but all they saw was a failure. A Prince who failed to lead, a son who failed to obey, and a soldier who failed not one, but now two assignments. To them Zim was a joke, but to Dib, Zim was simply on the wrong side.

And maybe, just maybe he was.

Skoodge, his best friend since child birth had forced him to choose between Irk, or Dib. Dib however was pleading his case, but left his fate in Zim's hands. He trusted Zim to make the right decision, he didn't demand a quick response, nor did he question his ability to do make the right choice.

No, he trusted Zim, the green lizard who had tried to kill him several times over. The space boy who had threatened to blow up his world on countless occasions. He shouldn't be giving him a chance at all, but instead Dib was gambling the lives and freedom of every human on this planet including his own in the small hope that Zim would chose him over Irk.

While Irk didn't even trust Zim to make the right decision to begin with.

It was like a light bulb had suddenly turned on in his head.

Why be loyal to a race that never gave a damn about him? Why show them any lick of devotion when someone who actually respected him was standing right in front of him.

Zim's hand dropped, and the blaster, along with Gir's behavioral controller fell to the floor.

Emperor Nax watched in disbelief as Zim stepped on them both, crushing them under his weight. And then Zim opened up his arms.

"Come here and hug me you worm, before I change my mind." Zim demanded.

Dib laughs, but runs up to him, and in seconds they embrace.

"This is all your fault." Zim gasped, tears running down his face. "I hate you so much."

Dib smiled, and held him close. "I hate you more." He teased.

Zim choked a laugh. "And I hate you the most!"

"Did he just…" Red couldn't finish his sentence, he tugged on Purple's sleeve hoping to for some sort of aid.

Purple on the other hand was more focused on the fact that their Emperor was drilling daggers into them with his eyes.

"This is all you fault!" Emperor Nax hissed. "You exiled him, not the computer brains."

Maz gasped. "You set him up, you wanted to get him killed!"

"Of course not!" Red tried to lie. "We would never…."

However, Purple was more interested in not digging himself a bigger hole then he already had. "It was all his idea sire!" He screamed. "I told him it was a bad idea to mess with the royal family but-!"

"Silence!" Emperor Nax hissed. "It would appear my son was right about one thing." He growled. "We nobles should be more involved with our army's. You two are relieved of your duties as Tallest, for now on a member of Nobility will act in your place, and you, you will be lucky to be alive in the next 24 hours."

"You can't do that." Red declared.

BIG MISTAKE!

"Get them off this ship now!" Emperor Nax ordered.

The soldiers of the massive were stunned to see a mechanical arm appear from out of the wall and scoop them up before throwing them out the air lock of the ship.

"There is a new order now." Emperor Nax spat. "For now on there are no figure heads for you to report to. You mix breeds think you can think for yourself, and your way of thinking has infected my son."

"Actually father." Maz interrupted. "The human is really the one to blame."

Emperor Nax seemed to pause at this. Yes, the Dib was the conning Mastermind, and Zim was too blind to see that he was being played. "Have both of you been studying Zim's past reports about the planet?" He asked.

Maz and Grogg nodded. "Yes Father." They answered.

"Your brother Grogg made a fair point." Emperor Nax said. "Your brother can no longer think clearly. You two will secure the planet in my name, and take Zim in custody. Once we kill Dib we can have him erased from Zim's memory."

Maz couldn't believe his ears, father was praising Grogg but ignoring him, not only that, but now they had to clean up Zim's mess. No, this was where he drew the line, he was done playing by father's rules.

Now he would follow Zim's example and make his own rules.

"Yes, father as you wish." Maz answered. "We will leave at once! Come Grogg."

Grogg was stunned, they were going to conquer Earth for their brother, and Father would likely still give Zim the credit, and yet Maz was okay with this?

He should have seen what was coming next, he really should have known, however while Grogg was clueless Emperor Nax was not surprised by Maz's next move.

He watched on the Massive's surveillance screens as his sons left the control room, and headed for the docks. However he could tell by the look on Maz's face that only one of them would be leaving leaving.

"I can't believe father is just going to forgive him!" Grogg hissed.

"He is just siding with his first born." Maz reasoned as he prepared his disguise. He smiled as he placed on a device that Tenn had taken off of Skoodge, it was a device that could disguise the wearer as a Human.

"But you're the first born now." Grogg reasoned. "Zim advocated the throne, he gave you his birth right."

"Father doesn't see it that way." Maz sighed. "And I suppose he is right. As long as Zim is still alive he is the first born."

Grogg's eyes widen. "Brother what are you saying?"

"Sorry little brother." Maz mused. "But I won't make the same mistake twice."

Before Grogg can ask what he means one of Maz's mechanical arms shoots out from his PAK and wastes no time stabbing into the younger Prince's stomach, and through his pack killing him in seconds.

Maz allowed his body to fall limp to the floor. "If father wants his first born to rule, than I will make sure that I am the only son he has left." He vowed.

Emperor Nax smiled, it was about time Maz took responsible for his mistake.

"Sire should we stop him?" a guard asked.

"No, Maz has finally learned what he did wrong." Emperor Nax stated simply. "When someone gives you their birth right you never let them walk away. Because if they do then one day they just might try and take it back."

The guard nodded, after all he was just a soldier, and his purpose was to follow orders, nothing more.

Maz whipped the blood from his PAK leg as he boarded his ship. It was time for him to finish this once and for all.

(Back with Zim, and Dib…)

Love…

The word felt strange to Zim, such a word was not in an Irken's vocabulary, but he knew that was what he felt as he held Dib in his arms. They had held each other like that for what felt like forever, and it very well could have been forever but unfortunately a certain someone had to cut in.

The two broke apart to see Gaz holding one of her dad's ray guns.

"Gaz?" Dib asked, stepping in front of Zim protectively.

"Okay look!" She said, "I'm all for you two finding true love and all that." She admitted. "But please tell me you have a plan!"

"Uh…." Dib began.

"You idiots!" Gaz screamed. "This isn't some fairy tell well love triumphs over all! These guys are going to kill you, heck they'll probably kill our whole family because we know too much."

"She's right Dib." Zim agreed.

Oh come on, there's got to be something we can do." Dib suggested.

"Yeah we could always turn Zim in and hope they don't dissect him!" Gaz joked harshly.

The two lovers gave her a stunned look.

"I'm joking you idiots!" She screamed. "God you stupider than I remember!"

"Gaz this is serious!" Dib argued. "We need a real plan."

"No worried I have one." Zim assured him.

"Okay great let's hear it!" Gaz said, looking unconvinced, but Zim had grown very serious now, and Dib wasn't sure if he liked that.

"Zim? What are you thinking." He asked.

"It's simply really I'm their prince the Armada will listen to any order I give them." Zim stated.

"But you father is Emperor." Dib argued, "Plus you gave your birth right to your brother."

"That's why I'm going to take it back." Zim stated simply.

"Zim?" Dib looks unsure.

"Cut the head off of the snake, and the body dies." Zim doesn't even flinch.

"Zim you're talking about killing your family!" Dib shouted.

"They're not my family Dib." Zim spat. "They never were, you…you are my family. You and Gir."

Dib smiled.

"Awe come here!" Gir suddenly shouts and scoops them all into a hug, his arms wrapping around the three of them like ropes.

"Gir now is not the time!" Dib shouts.

"Yeah and why am I in this hug!" Gaz agrees.

"You family too!" Gir exclaimed.

"I refuse!" Gaz stated her denial openly.

Dib laughed. As his and Zim's eyes met. "What a mess we've found ourselves in uh space boy?"

Zim smiles back. "We? This is your fault you big headed hairless ape, and now I have to clean up your mess."

"Me!" Dib argued. "You drugged me!"

"You kissed me!" Zim challenged.

"Yeah well you touched me first!" Dib shouted back.

"Yeah well it's still your fault because none of this would have happened if you hadn't of peaked!" Zim yelled back.

Dib opens his mouth to argue, but he can't, because Zim is right, if he had kept his eyes shut none of this would have happened.

Zim smiles. "And that 1 point for me and none for the Dib-beast!"

Dib rolled his eyes. It would appear they were back to their witty banter routine. He smiled at least he had had his Zim back.

But for how much longer?

Could Zim really kill his own family?

And if he did would that mean he'd have to leave Dib to rule Irk?

There was so many uncertainties between them, but one thing was sure they loved each other, and they were in this together.

"Well I hope you two love birds know what you're doing." Gaz warned. "Because we're all counting on you."

Zim and Dib couldn't help but laugh uneasily, the whole world was depending on them now, and as far as they knew Maz could already be lurking in the shadows.

And even if they managed to stop him, there was still another brother, and his father to worry about.

No, Zim shook his head knowingly, he could not worry about father now.

He had to focus on them one at a time, and Maz was going first.

'I hope your ready brother.' Zim thought with a hiss. 'Because I'm coming for you, and this time only one of us will walk away...'

Chapter End Notes

Thanks for reading and please leave a comment. (If you want!)

The Next update will be soon.

So until then this is Emily Signing off…