Episode 13: Universal War? (Part 3)
(Back with Dib…)
It had taken him much longer then he thought to bring the robot doubles back online.
Dib wiped the sweat from his brow, as he finished his work. He had Zim go to the store in order to distract the spy drones so he could work in peace, now that he was done he hid the doubles in the shower and drawls the curtain.
Now came the hardest part...Telling Zim!
It was time to come clean about everything, but they couldn't discuss it at home, he had to activate the doubles as soon as Zim got back, and create a diversion so they could slip away unnoticed by the spy drones.
"Josh I'm back." Joseph yelled from the main room of their crappy apartment. He huffed as he sat the groceries and the two blow up beds they were barrowing from Rachel, onto the counter.
"I'm in the bathroom." Dib said. "Can you help me out in here I think the toilet's clogged."
Joseph huffs again, but obeys, heading to the bathroom, Dib pulls him in and closes the door.
"Josh what are you doing?" Joseph whispered lowly. "We are surrounded by spy drones."
Dib looked up to him with determined eyes, he was out of his disguise, and his heart beat was thumping nervously. "We need to talk." He said.
"About?" Josh asked, looking suspicious, and he had a right to do so.
"I've been keeping things from you." Dib admitted. "And it's time I come clean."
Joseph pressed a button on his communicator, and his disguise dematerializes, leaving a very angry, Zim. "Well, it's about time you decided to clue me in." he hissed.
"You've noticed?" Dib asked.
"Give me some credit human." Zim spat. "I've known you for some time now."
Dib suppressed a shiver; he could see it; Zim's resolve was slipping. 'What did Tak call it?'
'Going Rogue.' He answered his own question.
It was obvious Zim was losing his grip.
"We need to get to the tunnel first." Dib finally spoke.
"How?" Zim asked.
Dib pulled back the shower curtain revealing the doubles.
Zim couldn't help but smile. No, doubt the human had him leave so the spy drones would follow him, allowing Dib to sneak away, retrieve the robot doubles and hide them here. The boy was just as clever as he was all those years ago, and maybe even more. "So, what? Are we going to cloak our way out of here?"
Dib nodded. "We'll have the two argue about something, make up, and set up the place while we're gone. Then we'll switch back with them tonight after they go to bed."
Zim nodded, and turned on his cloaking device, turning himself invisible to the naked eye. "Then let's go."
Dib nodded, and activated the robot doubles, before turning on his own cloak.
The robot doubles burst out of the bathroom arguing about this, and that, but the two undesirables were not listening. Instead they slipped away, out the open kitchen window, and ran down the street, as the spy drones focused on a fake argument, made by fake targets.
It didn't take them long to reach the tunnel, leading to the doom.
"Ok I'm listening." Zim said, as he turned off his cloak.
Dib sighed, doing the same. "Zim I know what's going on with you." He said.
Zim seemed to freeze, stunned at the news, but he recovers. "And how would you know this."
"You and Tak were talking about worthy ones." Dib said. "You left us in the dark, so I did some research of my own. I stole a book from the forbidden library, and put two and two together when we had our run in with Koi."
"Are you mad?" Zim asked. "You could have jeopardized everything!"
"There's more." Dib pressed. "Tak told her mentor about you, and he got in contact with your ancestors."
"Tak brought another one?" Zim growled. "Let me guess, she's only looking out for me?"
"Zim you're slipping." Dib dared to point out. "Your losing your since of purpose and if you do that you could-"
"Go Rogue?" Zim asked as if it was no big deal.
"They need you." Dib stressed.
"Since when?" Zim snapped.
"Listen Zim, Tak's mentor is coming tonight to speak to you." Dib argued. "And you will hear him out or else we could lose our chance to win this war before it even begins."
"What do you mean?" Zim dared to ask.
I told you he got in contact with your ancestors." Dib yelled.
"So, what they probably turned him down." Zim said as a matter of factly.
"They didn't." Dib told him.
"What?" Zim looked stunned.
"Tak says they are starting a war with the enemy right now, but only because they think you want to lead Irk out of the darkness." Dib explained.
"So, if I turn my back on them now you're saying we'll lose a very powerful alley?" Zim asked.
Dib nodded. "We could save Earth without them, but they need you Zim."
"Why?" Zim snapped. "Why do they need me? They never have before, why now?"
"Rene and the others they didn't get a slap on the wrist." Dib yelled.
"What?" that stopped Zim dead in his tracks.
"The Tallest killed them Zim." Dib said gravely. "In front of the collective as a whole, inside the court room."
No...
Zim shook his head, he couldn't believe it to be true, The Tallest were cruel, but to do this.
"Don't you see this is our chance?" Dib asked, "We shouldn't be fighting them, we should join with them, and destroy the Tallest from the inside out."
Zim didn't speak for a long time, and when he did his voice was barely a whisper.
"And you confirmed this." Zim asked.
Dib nodded, gravely. "I'm sorry Zim."
"No!" Zim hissed. "It's the Tallest that should be sorry, and they will be." He vowed. "Cause I'll make sure of it!"
(later on, that night with Tak…)
She wasn't sure what the big deal was,
She expected the trial to motivate the renegades to retaliate, and yet they hid in fear. Perhaps this was a human war tactic she was not aware of. Were they hiding in hopes of the Tallest letting their guard down?
Tak wasn't sure, but it hardly matter.
She couldn't pass up a chance to see Zim's secret base, after all if she wanted to stay in the Tallest favor she'd have to report something new and soon! Otherwise the resistance would lose their inside man, or female. She sighed, she hated sailing them out to the enemy, but that's how being an informant worked.
You can't get information without giving a little back.
Tak approached the edge of the sewer tunnel cautiously with an unsure look on her face. "I don't get it there's nothing but water!" She said looking over the edge of a high cliff.
"That's because that's where the base it." A voice said behind her.
Tak turned to see… "Dib, you're kidding right? The base, it can't actually be underwater."
Dib smiled; her look of total disbelief only proves to him that Zim chose their hiding spot for the dome very well. "It is." He said.
"Unbelievable." She said, not even trying to hide her admiration.
"So, this friend of yours." Dib said. "Your mentor, was it?"
"Yes." Tak answered, then froze. "Wait, where Zim is?"
"He's already down below." Dib assured her. "He uh needed to clear his head after I told him."
"You told him?" Tak asked. "How much?"
"Everything." Dib answered. "And he is not happy." He added.
"Then we shouldn't keep him waiting." A voice said from behind them.
Tak and Dib turned to see a light green Irken with his yellowish brown eyes, he was about 5ft, and wore the uniform reserved for the Irken elite.
"Hello Tak." He said. "I assume this human here is a member of the resistance."
Dib drawled his laser from his waist belt and pointed it at the new comer, ready to fire.
"It's okay." Tak assured him, her hand resting on his shoulder. "This is my mentor Sargent Goalit." She said, introducing him. "Sir, this is Dib."
"Awe Dib Membrane." Goalit looked the boy up and down before him in obvious admiration. "Yes, I've heard a lot about Undesirable number 2, I hear you're quite the adversary."
Dib lowered his weapon. "Did you just insult me, and praise me at the same time?" he asked dumbly.
Tak snickers. "He does that a lot; makes you second guess yourself."
"A good soldier never seconds guess themselves." Goalit lectured.
"It's better to second guess and hesitate, then run blindly into battle." Dib retorted back.
Goalit froze, shocked by his answer. "You have quiet the head on your shoulders boy, no wonder the Tallest are having a hard time."
Tak smiled mockingly at her mentor knowing full well that no one had ever called him out so easily before.
"We should address Zim." Goalit said, getting back to the matter at hand, while doing his best to ignore Tak's smirk.
"Okay, but you have to understand this is a big leap of faith for us letting you two down here." Dib warned.
"We know, and we are grateful." Goalit assured him.
"Then let's go." Dib said.
Tak looked unsure.
"Just take my hand." Dib holds his hand out to her.
She hesitates, usually this is the part where she screams 'How dare you even think about touching me worm!', but to both of their surprise she takes his hand without a second thought.
Dib gives her a reassuring smile.
Tak can't help but smile back, she never really saw what the boy sees in her, but it feels great to be a part of something once again. And to her surprise she can feel herself believing in something again.
Believing in him…
Dib presses a button on his belt, causing a force field to form around the three of them. "Ready?" he asked.
Tak bit her lip, wondering when she started actually trusting the boy. She didn't know, all she did know was that she did, and to her surprise she felt somewhat guilty for betraying him. "I'm ready." She said tightening her grip around the boy's hand. "Let's do this!"
"Yes, let's." Goalit agreed, his eyes falling on their holding hands. It wasn't like Tak to be allow anyone to be touchy, but in such trying and unsure times he could understand her unsteadiness.
Dib nodded and together the three of the jumped into the crashing waves below.
Tak gasped in awe as she saw all the creatures swimming around her as they floated deeper, and deeper into the sea. It amazed her how many diverse creatures lived on this world together in such harmony.
Or at least it had once been in harmony…
Tak pushed the thought away, she could not let her feels cloud her judgment!
Suddenly a dark dome like shape comes into view, and Tak gasped. "Is that my hot dog stand?!" she exclaimed.
"Zim used it for parts, hope you don't mind." Dib said.
Tak couldn't help but smile, of course he used it for parts, to throw it away would have been foolish! After all free parts are an advantage that can't be over looked. Moments later they arrive at an opening, and enter the dome. The force field is lifted as the three enter safely into the loading bay.
"Well what do you think?" Dib asked.
Tak was speechless, the place was huge, at least three times bigger than her hot dog stand alone! All around her machines were sorting pieces of metal into several piles, while others were carried away on conveyer belts. "It's amazing." She admitted.
"Yes, impressive." Goalit agreed, "But then again I would expect as much from him, if I remember correctly he was always very bright."
"And If I remember correctly you always asked the impossible of your students." Zim said emerging from the shadows.
Goalit is taken aback by his massive height, but soon recovers. "Sir." He bows respectively on one knee, and motions for Tak to do the same.
Tak obeys.
"Sir, there is no need for this." Zim says offering Goalit his hand.
Goalit takes it, and allows Zim to help him to his feet.
"I am not above you." Zim told him. "And I don't wish to be."
"But we need you to be." Goalit stressed.
"No what you need is a leader, not another tyrant." Zim said, moving to help Tak to her feet.
She allows him to do so.
"And even though I don't believe I'm the right choice for the Empire, there isn't any other option." Zim said gravely.
"So, you've already changed your mind?" Tak asked.
"Dib told me about those cadets." Zim said gravely. "I was angry with them for what they did, but to kill them in such a barbaric manner in order to establish fear is something I cannot stand for."
"Then I will let the Ancient know that we have made contact." Goalit said.
"Do they really plan to raise arms?" Zim asked.
"Lard Nar says they already have, and I say it's about time." Goalit voiced openly.
Zim sighed, "I still don't think I am best for the Empire."
"Why not?" Goalit asked.
"Because the Tallest were right about one thing." Zim said gravely. "I am defective, and any future Amons cloned from me will be too."
"We must trust the judgment of our Ancestors." Goalit assured him. "They have seen your file, it has you labeled defective, but they still wish to give you their blessing."
"But why?" Zim asked. "Are they really that desperate?"
Goalit sighed. "You can ask them yourself; they await your arrival."
"I can't, not now." Zim said. "I must wait until the transformation takes its toll."
"Keeping up the human act is dangerous." Tak advised. "If you stayed here it would be safer-"
"No!" Zim snapped. "I must keep myself from isolation, they Tallest isolate Amons going through the change, and look how Koi turned out." He reasoned. "If you stay isolated from your people too long you lose your connections with them. You forget how to relate to them; I will not make the same mistake. Besides the humans need me to help them run their missions." He added.
"Speaking of what's our next move?" Tak asked.
"We must lay low for a while." Zim instructed. "The Tallest have caused an up roar that will shake things up for some time. And if our goal is to bring Irken and humans together, then we need this to die down a bit first."
"How long?" Tak asked.
"About a month." Zim advised then turned to Goalit. "What are your orders?"
"The Ancients want me to monitor your progress in growth, and watch over you." Goalit answered. "I transferred myself to Earth before I came here, I report into my superiors in the morning."
"Good, do so." Zim ordered.
"You want me to stay in the collective?" Goalit asked, stunned.
"For now." Zim advised. "We may need you to help us get out of a tight squeeze, and since we can't afford Tak getting caught it will have to be you."
Goalit nodded. "I understand."
"Then it's settled, we'll lay low, until further notice." Dib finally spoke of.
"Yes, and the two of you will both attend the next meeting." Zim said to Tak, and Goalit.
"Zim is that really a good idea?" Dib asked, remembering how everyone felt about Tak.
"They are a part of this team." Zim reasoned, "Besides once the others find out about the new army we have behind us thanks to these two; I hardly think they'll care."
Dib bit his lip, the others weren't going to like this, but Zim didn't seem to care.
And Zim didn't, it was time that they all stopped thinking dividedly, and rise up together as a team, otherwise this war was going to be lost to them.
Goalit watch Zim closely, for someone who thought he wasn't good enough for the Empire, he was sure showing the complete opposite. Zim was focused, addressing everyone's concerns for both the Irkens to the humans, making sure to stress their equality, and need for each other.
He could feel his doubts melting away. Whether he knew it or not Zim was a good leader, and he was exactly what the Irken empire needed right now. However, getting Zim to believe that may prove to be a challenge.
But it was a challenge he would take on with pride, for all of Irk depended on it!
Episode 13: Universal War? (Part 3) END!