Epilogue
Dib scrolled through the endless list of emails back-logged on his computer. It was nearly seven-o-clock in the evening, and still the forty-six-year old struggled to make a dent in the ever-growing amount of paperwork.
Sighing in defeat, he turned his head and looked out through the massive office window behind him, the top floor of what was now one of the many new age skyscrapers overlooking the city. Outside his office, hundreds of vehicles scurried about, some of them skimming by entirely too closely as they zipped past the tower at alarming speed. To Dib's disappointment, the traffic was already piling up, and based on the current level of gridlock, it was going to take a miracle to get to his destination on time.
He grunted and turned his attention back to his work. Ever since he had taken on the role as head of Membrane Industries, it had been one menial task after another. Outside catapulting the human race into a more advanced society and developing flying cars for the good of mankind, Dib spent most of his time answering calls and responding to emails. Not that he was complaining. He had chosen to run the company voluntarily outside of his father's wishes, and with Zim no longer a threat, he was free to move on to greater things without the worry of a certain alien menace getting in the way.
Dib breathed in deeply and let out a massive exhale. On the day of his inauguration, he had walked into his father's labs proudly for the first time, a new permanent key card hanging loosely around his neck. His dad's words still echoed through his head, "I'm counting on you son. It's up to you now to take care of humanity." He had found the phrase ironic at the time, considering that protecting humanity was all he HAD been doing ever since Zim landed on Earth, but eventually he understood what his father meant. The Professor had tried his best to make the world a better place, and all he wanted was for his son to do the same.
Dib chuckled at the thought. What would his younger self think of him now?
He sighed and let his body fall back into the overly large office chair he had ordered one summer by mistake. He was tired, and it had been a long day trying to get his work done ahead of time to meet Zim at the battlegrounds. True to his word, the Irken had refrained from any attempts to take over the world, exempting one week where he and Dib could battle it out head to head, just like the old days. It was a week Zim was allowed free reign, the one time of the year when the little alien could finally try his best to take over the planet. He never succeeded of course, and Dib, having far too many resources at this point to ever fail at stopping him, dumbed down his techniques in order to play a fair game. But it still didn't take away the fun, and for that one week, the one week out of the year where Dib could feel like his old self, he would chase down the paranormal to his heart's desire.
The middle-aged CEO let his arms dangle loosely at his sides before bringing his hands up to rub the corners of his eyes. He opened them again and then looked over at the clock, taking note of the time.
6:47 PM
He grunted and let out a tiny pout before turning his attention back to the computer. It was getting late, and Zim was not likely to wait forever.
Shifting his gaze over to the small collection of photos on his desk, he focused on the one that was positioned in the corner. It was an old photo, one of when his son, Zak, was only a toddler. It was the day Dib had managed to convince Zim to hold the boy for the first time; the day that would exceedingly change his view of the Irken forever. Zak was being held in the air, and much to Zim's dismay, the child was gleefully tugging on the ends of the poor ex-invader's antennae. Dib smiled at the memory, recalling it more positively than Zim probably did. It had taken a monumental effort just to convince the Irken to look at the child, let alone hold him, but when he finally did, and after Zak had calmed down a bit, Zim had stared at the drool-ridden, worm-baby in a way Dib had never seen him look at anyone before. He appeared almost bewildered, as if he was looking at another human for the first time. Dib could have sworn he had seen something in his eyes that day, some inkling of what looked awfully similar to tears, but Zim had erased it in the blink of an eye. And when Dib tried to question him about it, the Irken had scoffed it off like it was no big deal.
But as soon as Zak began to learn to talk, Dib noticed a change in alien's behavior. He started to spend more time around the boy and even grew closer to him, much like an uncle would to a nephew. He taught him everything there was to know about Irken technology and even how to build his own ship. Truth be told, Dib had been rather jealous, but even he had seen the value of allowing his son spend so much time with an alien. Of course, there was the nagging thought that in the back of his mind that Zim was only using Zak to turn his own son against him, but Clara had assured him otherwise. She had always had a way of seeing the true nature in people, and she had assured Dib that Zim's intentions were pure. So Dib let his son hang out with the Irken, and dramatically he saw a shift in his behavior.
But eventually, like all humans, Zak grew older, and the dynamic between him and the Irken began to change. Zim was often left behind to fiddle with projects alone in his lab, while Zak, now a late-teenager, became more interested in spending time with friends and now a new girlfriend he had recently picked up at school. Dib tried to explain to Zim that it was the natural order of things, but the Irken wanted none of it. He threw countless fits, failing to understand why humans went through such erratic transformations in such a short amount of time, and it took Dib a while to figure out what the real reason for Zim's behavior. But soon enough, he found out.
It was one night down in Zim's base, the night Dib had found him pouting after Zak had gone off to the mountains somewhere with his friends. He took a seat beside his rival, waiting for the alien to speak. The two sat there a long time in collaborated silence, but eventually Zim was the first to speak up. That was when Dib had learned the full story about his past. He learned about Tak. About the smeet. About everything.
Sitting there astonished, Dib wasn't sure how to process the information and was equally shocked as he was surprised. Zim had become a father and lost Tak all in a manner of months, and it almost seemed impossible for someone like him, someone who didn't care about anyone other than himself. But then again, Dib hadn't expected him to care so much about Tak, and he certainly never would have expected him to grow close so close to his child. But it did explain all of his attachment to Zak and why the Irken had felt so betrayed after the boy grew up. After Dib left the base that night, he left Zim to process his feelings on his own, gaining a whole new respect for his long time rival.
But as the weeks went by, Zim's frustration grew. He began to vent outward, causing trouble back in Membrane labs. He would mix up formulas intentionally, sabotaging the scientists' work in order to get attention, and he would remove parts from prototypes, purposely setting the designs back months after hard work. After a series of complaints, Dib eventually had to step in and intervene. He suggested they return to their original agreement, the one where Zim was allowed free reign at least one week to do what he wanted. Zim was reluctant at first, thinking the human was trying to trick him, but to Dib's relief, he eventually complied. He went back to trying to take over the world, and Dib was thankful to see his mood improve. And for the most part, he was able to get back to work without distractions.
Shaking off the pesky memories, Dib smiled and drove his nose back into his work, hoping to finish in time to meet Zim at the battlegrounds. He was just about halfway through the list of emails when the door to the office suddenly burst open.
"Sir, we're getting unusual reports of volcanic activity along the pacific rim," his secretary reported, clearly tired from a long day of answering calls. "Apparently Mount Saint Helens is being stuffed with vinegar or...something."
Dib cracked a smile. "It's alright Stacy," he replied, recalling a vague memory of the science fair. "I'll take care of it."
Satisfied, Stacy turned to back out of the room, but then stopped and poked her head in a second time. "Oh, and your son is here to see you too," she added before disappearing behind the large, polished, wooden doors.
Dib lifted his head just in time to see Zak step into the office. The lengthy eighteen-year old was dressed in long, black cyberpunk attire, similar to what Dib had worn around his age, and was sporting a light, chrome tattoo shining faintly on his arm.
He approached his father's desk. "Hey Dad," he greeted, not looking up from his handheld device. "Mom said she wants to know what time you're getting back from the event tonight. Oh, and if you'll sign my permission slip."
"Permission slip?" Dib repeated, raising an eyebrow. "For what?"
"The class trip coming up this weekend...," Zak groaned, somewhat annoyed. "You said I could go."
"Oh right, that." Dib motioned for his son to bring over the document, and Zak did as he was asked. He set the handheld down onto his father's desk and waited while Dib looked over it with careful eyes.
"Going with Lucy again?" his dad asked, adding the signature.
Zak scrunched up his face. "Dad, you know that's none of your business," he insisted. "And I broke up with Lucy two weeks ago."
Dib smirked. "Well, my business or not, you can tell Mom I'll be home sometime tomorrow. I can't imagine this trip taking very long." He waited for the screen to flash green after verifying his signature. When all was done, he slid the device back to his son.
"Going after Zim?" Zak asked sarcastically.
"And that's any of your business?" Dib mocked, cocking an eyebrow.
Zak rolled his eyes. "Come on Dad. Anyone with a brain can figure out you two always disappear around this time of year. Mom says just don't be back too late."
With a nod, Dib pushed himself up and went over to a nearby coat closet. He scanned his keycard to open it and the sliding door hissed open, revealing a collection of lab coats. He shifted through the contents until found a familiar black jacket, pulling it carefully off the coat hanger.
"Oh no. Not the jacket again," Zak groaned, cringing at his father's attire. "You know that thing is so out of date."
Dib flung the article of clothing over his shoulders and turned back toward his son before checking his coat sleeves. "If you knew how cold it was up north, you wouldn't be saying that," he replied casually..
"But it's a bit much though, don't you think?" Zak winced, clenching his teeth. "Can't you just wear something else?"
"Not at all," Dib protested. He checked the fit in a nearby mirror. It had been tailored specifically for his height and completely redone after he had fully grown. Satisfied, he walked back over to the computer and scanned his ID card to shut down the system. He waited for everything to completely power down before making his way over to his son. "Come on, let's get something to eat before I head out to save the world," he said jokingly, knowing his eighteen-year old wouldn't turn down a free meal. "I know that place on 42nd street that you like."
Zak rolled his eyes. "Sure, Dad. Whatever."
The next morning,
Zim landed the Voot in the attic and hopped out of the broken, battered ship. Both exhausted and defeated, he stood still a moment, brushing himself off from the many layers of vinegar that exploded in his face. "Well that was a total failure," he stated bluntly, recalling the events of the last battle.. "Looks like I'll have to try harder next time, Gir."
The tiny robot ignored him and went on playing with his new McMeeties toy that had just been fished out of the greasy food bag. He giggled and laughed hysterically, watching as the toy bounced up and down before he launched it off the wall. Unfortunately, the head sprung off like a loaded bullet, causing him to scream immediately.
"Enough!" Zim grunted in annoyance, crossing his arms at the minion. He waited for the tiny SIR unit to finally calm down. "Fourteen-billion SIR units in the universe, and I'm here stuck with you," he muttered, exhausted.
He marched on toward the elevator and took it down to the communications center. He stared at the passing lights skimming down the tube, irritated.
"Computer!" he shouted, projecting his voice upward. "Read me a list of missed calls."
"No missed calls available."
Zim frowned. "Any messages?"
"No missed messages either."
Zim went quiet and shifted his eyes to the floor. Thirty years. Over thirty years and not a single message from Dirt?
He continued to stare at the platform while the computer chimed in again.
Would you like me to compose another message, sir?" it asked, disrupting the silence.
Zim shook his head. "No, that won't be necessary. I'll just...work on a project, or...something."
His shoulders slumped, and he carried himself over to the crescent-shaped seat in the center of the room. Flopping down, he looked up at the massive circle of machines enclosing him. Why hasn't she returned any of my calls? he thought scathingly, still staring off into space. Surely she should have finished her assignment on Dirt by now.
Feeling sorry for himself, he made his way over to his private snack storage and pulled out a specialized can of soda. He had been saving it for an unknown occasion, but now seemed as good a time as any. He cracked open the beverage and lifted it to his chin, getting through only about three-and-a-half gulps before the computer chimed in again.
"Oh wait, there is ONE message that I forgot to mention..."
The Irken practicalyl spat out his drink. "Well, what are you waiting for?!" he shouted, the bubbles still fizzing around his jaw. "Play it already!"
The computer did as it was told, and a small monitor floated into view. Zim wiped his mouth and stared at the screen confused.
"Um, computer...?" he asked, wondering why he was hearing nothing but static. "Play me the message!"
"Message is playing, sir."
Zim gruntled and let out a heavy sigh. "Why do I even bother?" He sulked back into his chair, sitting there a long time he could before finally deciding what to do. Eventually, he got up and dragged his feet down the corridor, making his way to the lab where he knew he had various projects waiting for him.
He approached one of the stations and observed the tiny robotic arms tinkering away on some new piece of equipment. They were busy uploading a new protective layer to a processing chip, one designed specifically for a new soda machine he intended on installing upstairs. As he approached, the robotic arms stopped, waiting for their master to give them further commands as he leaned in to take a closer look.
He was about to step in and take control of them when he heard the sound of a pipe rattle down the hall.
"Gir?" he asked, whipping his head around. It was not unusual for his SIR unit wonder away, but Gir was standing right next to him.
"Yeeeeeesss?" the tiny robot replied..
Zim ignored his minion and felt his skin rise. His nerves went on full alert and he stared down the hall, squinting to see through the darkness.
If Gir was standing next to him, then who was down the hall?
He turned his body, preparing himself to face whatever intruder dared infiltrate his base, and waited patiently. The days of the Dib-human spying on him were long since over, and Zak was too busy now to give him the time of day, so who could possibly be down here?
He called out again, a little bit more nervous this time.
"Zak?" he questioned, wondering if the fully grown teen was here to play pranks on him. He wouldn't put it past him since that was all the Dib-human, worm-baby ever seemed interested in doing these days. "Is that you? You know you're not allowed to be down here without permission!"
Well that wasn't entirely true. He had programmed the base to specifically let Zak in whenever he wanted. And Dib, if the older human ever so desired.
As the shadow drew nearer, Zim felt his heartbeat intensify greatly. He raised a claw defensively, hoping to bluff by showing off his combat skills. "I demand you to show yourself!" he shouted, his stance shifting more readily for an attack. "Reveal yourself now! Or suffer the wrath of Zim!"
"I think I'll take my chances," answered a female voice, one that was all too familiar.
Zim instantly froze in his tracks. His heart skiped a beat, and his breath hitched in his throat.
No. It couldn't be.
"T-Tak?" he questioned, still trying to process if she was actually there. Over the years his computer had played various tricks on him, sometimes projecting holograms of her down the hall only to have them disappear when he ran up close enough. Sometimes the menacing AI would leave the images lingering around long enough for him to touch them, only to have his heart sink when his hand fell straight through. It was a cruel trick, and one that he knew his computer was doing on purpose; an easy way to get revenge for all the abuse he had to put it through over the years.
He held a hand out, waiting for her to approach, her fuchsia eyes gleaming menacingly in the artificial light.
"I see you've made quite a home for yourself," she replied impishly, approaching him while he still stood paralyzed. He still didn't speak, and she gave him a confused look as she came to a halt directly in front of him. "What? After all this time, you can't even give me a proper greeting?"
He remained where he was, frozen and completely at a loss for words. His antennae twitched as she inched closer, her smirk washing over him as she brought a hand up to touch the side of his cheek. He immediately took in her warmth, the heat from her body flowing gradually into his cheek as it radiated from her hand. If there was one thing a hologram couldn't do, it was transfer energy in the form of warmth.
Tak smiled and followed up his inability to speak by sliding her claws down to the base of his jawline. His nerve endings relaxed in an instant, and he let his guard down, allowing his hands to find hers. She pulled him in closer before meeting his lips with a kiss. It was like a wave of electricity, the two Irkens meeting together after years of time. The shock of her touch traveled from the tip of his antennae to the heels of his boots, and it was just like when they were first together, back when he had kissed her for the very first time. The feeling sent shivers down his spine, and he melted at her touch, returning the kiss in whatever way possible.
"I never thought I'd see you again," he whispered, almost desperately into her neck. He wrapped his arms around her tighter, as if she was an air balloon that would float away any moment. He had missed her so very, very badly, and all the memories he had repressed over the years came flooding back like a broken dam, letting the waters run freely as it burst open. He deepened their contact by leaning in to kiss her again, but to his disappointment, this time she pulled away.
"I can't stay long," she muttered, staring deeply into his eyes. It was clear she didn't want to disappoint him, but he was too enamored at this point to worry about such things.
"I don't care," he growled, burying his face into her neck again. "I am just happy to see you."
Tak felt her face blush and she was quickly reminded of how affectionate he could be. He started kissing her again, tilting his head to one side and doing everything possible to satisfy what she was asking of him. She returned the gesture and wrapped her arms around his body, allowing herself to take in his familiar scent. The two of them got so caught up in the moment, they didn't even notice another, younger, female Irken walk up behind them.
"Geez. Get a room, you two," the stranger grumbled, causing the two of them to split apart immediately. Zim spun around and turned to face the intruder with his arm placed in front of Tak.
"Who are you?" he asked, standing defensively. "How did you get in here?"
When the stranger didn't respond, Tak stepped in front of him. "She's with me, Zim" she explained, encouraging him to calm down. "I brought her along as a trainee for the junior invader program."
"Junior invader Program?" Zim questioned, raising an eyebrow. He vaguely recalled going through a similar rotation back at the academy, but it had been far too long to remember the details. "But I thought-... Aren't you an invader?"
"I am," Tak answered, stepping forward. "I passed my exam a little over two years ago, but Jen has come to learn about how to set up a base properly. I figured yours would be a good example of what NOT to do."
Too distracted by what was happening to process her sarcastic remark, Zim simply stared at the two Irkens. He took in Jen's overall appearance, recognizing the uniform as similar to the one he wore during his years at the academy. He took a step closer and eyed her up and down, his own eyes narrowing in observation. Her facial features were strikingly similar to his own, and she had the same arrogant smile, the same look of confidence that could only be seen if he looked into a mirror, and her eyes were the same ruby red as the ones he discovered the day he was born.
"You're teaching her?" he asked, somewhat stupidly and still ignoring the nagging thoughts in the back of his mind.
Tak nodded. "She can be quite stubborn at times. Especially when it comes to learning how to pilot a ship. But she IS brilliant. And on track to become one of the best invaders in her class."
"The TOP invader," Jen corrected, tilting her chin up.
Tak rolled her eyes.
But Zim, ignored their conversation. He continued to circle around the young intern, finding something remarkably uncanny about her resemblance. There was something he couldn't quite put his finger on, something that was bugging him to his very core. And it didn't help that some of her facial features were mixed with Tak as well. Her antennae curled in the same way Tak's did, and even her accent was spot on, too similarly to be a coincidence. She had a very familiar gait in the way she marched and her posture was held much in the same way Zim did his own. He observed her steadily, getting the sinking feeling that he was looking directly into a mirror.
It couldn't be, could it? She couldn't possibly be his...? No their-...
He stumbled backward, not believing the conclusion he had finally reached. He felt a sudden surge of emotion: a mixture of fear, nervousness, relief, and excitement all bundled into one unnerving, ticking-time bomb that his mind threatened to detonate any moment. He felt light-headed, and his knees grew weak. And if it weren't for Tak stepping in to catch him before he hit the ground, he might have fainted right there on the spot.
"But you can't be-... You're... You're-..."
He couldn't quite get the words out. He was hyperventilating now, and at this point, his body wanted nothing more than to run for the hills. But his mind struggled to comply with the orders. He wanted to ask so many questions, but at the same time, he felt like he had already knew all the answers. He could only stare at the young Irken, wide-eyed and sweating profusely. He struggled to come up with anything to say, but his brain failed him. Instead he only stared at her blankly, still struggling to process the events that he had seen unfold.
Tak stood next to him, patiently waiting for him to calm down. She had expected this, and when he was finally ready, she brought him forward carefully to stand face to face the young Irken. "Zim, there's someone I want you to meet," she said, nudging him forward.
He did as she asked, but his heart was still racing a million miles an hour and his hands were sweating bullets. He fiddled with his claws, the mixture of fear and shock in his mind almost unbearable. He looked down at the similar ruby-red eyes, hoping to the Tallest or anyone who would listen that he wouldn't disappoint her.
"This is Jen," said Tak, inching him forward. "Your daughter."
Author's note: And there you have it folks! I am so glad to have finally finished this story! It took years to write and even longer to be happy with the way it turned out. It feels like quite the feat to have it finally finished. And a big thank you to all of my readers who have stuck around long enough to see this through! It really means a lot to have you guys so interested in this story, and it's also incredibly powerful to see how long the fandom has stuck around. Hopefully I have not disappointed anyone with this ending and you all are very happy with how things played out. I also have a music playlist that goes along with this story listed below. So if you're interested, scroll down and check it out!
I did toy with the idea of a writing sequel where Tak is eventually sent off to conquer Earth as part of Operation Impending Doom IV, but I think I'll leave things where they are here. I've spent a little over twenty years in the Invader Zim fandom, and this will probably be my last big farewell to the show altogether. I really have enjoyed writing fanfiction, but now I'm off to bigger and better things. I can't think of a better place to say goodbye than right here, and maybe some day a new obsession will strike my fancy, but who knows. Until then, I guess I'll be reading more than writing. So thanks again everyone for reading my story, and hhope you had a happy Halloween!
Song List for each chapter:
1: "New Divide" by Linkin Park
2: "Sharks" by Imagine Dragons
3: "All Alone On Christmas" by Darlene Love/ "After Dark" by Mr. Kitty
4: "When Worlds Collide" by Powerman 5000/ "Breaking the Habit" by Linkin Park
5: "More the Victim" by Linkin Park
6: "Cold as Ice" by Foreigner
7: "I Hate Everything About You" by Three Days Grace
8: "I won't say I'm in Love" by Susan Egan and various artists (Hercules soundtrack)/ "A Girl Like You" by Edwyn Collins
9: "Far From Any Road" by the Handsome Family
10: "True Love" by P!nk
11: "F**kin Perfect" by P!nk
12: "Listen to Your Heart" by Roxette/ "Iris" by the Goo Goo Dolls/ "Evermore" by Dan Stevens
13: "Just a Dream" by Kurt Hugo Schneider, Christina Grimmie, and Sam Tsui/ "I miss you" by Blink 182
14: "Lost" by Linkin Park/ "Hurt" by Nine Inch Nails
15: "Brother My Brother" by Blessid Union of Souls
16: "Push" by Matchbox Twenty
17: "Drops of Jupiter" by Train/ "I'm Still Here (Jim's Theme)" by John Rzeznik
Epilogue: "Little Wonders" by Rob Thomas
Honorable mentions:
"Unwell" by Matchbox Twenty. I've always thought this was the perfect song for Dib.
'I Hate Myself for Loving You," by Joan Jett. I think this is the perfect song for Tak in relation to this story.
"Steal the Show" by Lauv. A new song that I absolutely fell in love with. And the movie was pretty good too!