Author's Notes: Man this chapter is long, and sad! Thank you all for reading I am looking forward to the next Arc. This one stems from the Invader Zim comics where Zim and Dib end up trapped in the future after a fight in space! In the comics future Zim takes over the world, but I have a very different future in mind for our little Mini-Moose and his Love Pig! So this chapter will be starting the Arc off with…tears…lots and lots of tears. Again Thanks for reading and please review!
(1 Year & 7 Months Ago…)
(Location: Planet Dirt)
It had been a trap, they had known it would be, and yet here they were, trapped. On an enemy planet, being pursued by Irken soldiers miles from their ship.
"Where to now?" Jinx had asked the obvious question, his rainbow-colored scales doing more harm than good. They reflected off the sun, giving away their position in a brilliant rainbow of color.
"They're everywhere!" Richard hissed, the unmistakable marching of feet getting closer. "We have no choice. We have to drop everything and make a run for it."
They were each carrying packs full of Irken Tech they had scored from the trash heaps.
"If we do that this will all be for nothing!" Annabel hissed.
"Annie, this isn't worth our lives." Richard lectured. The rest of the crew was waiting at the ship, they had no idea that they were in danger! Comms had been jammed, and they had no way of warning them. Not unless they dropped everything now and ran for it, maybe they'd put enough distance between them and the enemy for a quick escape.
"He's right Annabel." Lard Nar reasoned. "Think of the girls." He reminded her of what really mattered. "And your family, you can't return to them if we're captured.
Annabel knew he was right, but they had come so far, and for what, nothing?
"Hey." Someone whispered from out of view.
The group raised their weapons instantly as they searched their surroundings.
"Hey, over here!" The voice came again.
This time Lard Nar could pinpoint its location, he points his gun and sees the source. It's a Gular, a race of greenish humanoids with four arms, and two fingers on each hand. This one has a rare purplish gray spot on his head.
"This way!" He ushers them over to a mound of trash, sounding urgent. "Hurry, before they spot us."
The booming of the marching feet grew closer as the group shared a look, it was risky, and the Gular was most likely a prisoner on Dirt. A criminal who wouldn't hesitate to turn them over to Irk for some leisure time. Still, they really didn't have much of a choice, they wordlessly sped off after him. They saw as they got closer, that the mound of trash was actually a structure made to look like part of the trash heap.
"Hurry!" The Gular urged once more as they ran into the exposed doorway, he closed it as soon as they were through.
"Who are you?" Annabel asked quietly.
"Hush." The stranger warned as the hurried steps of the enemy were now right outside their hiding place. They all held their breath in a silent plea and soon the danger passes them.
The Gular throws a large robe to Jinx. "You must hide your scales."
Jinx looks at him wearily, the lizard was not so easily trusting of outsiders, but they had no time to be suspicious.
"Do as he says." Lard Nard ordered. "We have to hurry; they're heading for the ship."
Jinx reluctantly agreed, throwing on the coat, once he has the Gular leads them through another door and runs. They race after him, all of them thinking the same thing; was it really wise to trust this stranger.
The doorway leads into a tunnel deep within the trash.
"Marvelous secret tunnels." Richard voiced his amazement openly.
"We use them to escape the filth." The Gular remarks. "Hurry, your ship is this way."
"How do you know that?" Jinx challenged.
The Gular snickers. "Please, everyone saw that piece of junk land, you were made in seconds."
Lard Nar feels embarrassment creep up in his face, his cheeks turning a darker shade of purple. "And you are helping out of the kindness of your heart?" He challenged.
"No, I want off this rock." The Gular answered. "I thought that would be obvious." He makes another turn. "The names Spleenk, and I know these tunnels like the Filth know the surface." he says.
Annabel felt herself relaxing a bit, it was obvious that their guide wasn't a threat, at least not for now. He was just a desperate slave of Irk, looking for a way to escape, and they were his ticket.
They reach the end of the tunnels, and Spleenk opens another door, their ship, The Resisty, lays before them.
Their co-pilot, Mina, was a Species of Alien known only as Greys. Named for their grey skin the Greys where known for their large heads and immense intelligence. She ushers them to hurry, and they race aboard.
"Mina, get us out of here!" Lard Nar ordered. Usually he would fly, but at the moment there was no time for him to take control of the ship.
The doors close and The Resisty takes off before they can even strap in.
"Who's the new guy?" Pudge, another Grey asked.
"I'm Spleenk." Spleenk introduced himself happily.
"He's a friend, and we owe him our lives." Lard Nar explained.
"Not yet we don't." Jinx retorted as two Voot cruisers could be seen on the ship's screens, hot on their tail.
"Just get past the stratosphere." Spleenk advised, "And then punch the H-drive, none of the Voots have hyper speed capabilities."
"And how would you know that?" Jinx challenged.
"Tried to steal one to get off world and found out the hard way." Spleenk explained. He didn't even seem to care that Jinx was treating him with hostility. He still wore that same smile, looking a bit too giddy to be in a race for his life.
"Mina!" Lard Nar urged.
"Hang on!" The co-pilot ordered as she forced the ship to move faster, weaving as the enemy began to fire upon them.
They breached the atmosphere minutes later and she punches the H-drive!
The ship speeds off into oblivion and everyone seems to breathe easier.
"Thanks for the save friend." Richard said to Spleenk. "Heading anywhere special?"
"Not really." Spleenk revealed. "There's nothing left of..." He doesn't finished, not that he needs to; they all know what he is going to say.
"Well, I'm Richard." Richard said to him. "The stickler is Jinx, and this is my daughter Annie." He points them out as he speaks. "Our co-pilot Mina and our Mechanic Pudge, finally our fearless leader Lard Nar!"
"Leader?" Spleenk asked.
"Well, I wouldn't say fearless" Lard Nar admitted. "But yes, I am the captain of this vessel. The Resisty!"
Spleenk laughs openly. "Nice name, I like it." It's an obvious lie, but they all crack a smile, all but Jinx who glares. "But if you don't mind me asking, exactly what are you leading?"
"We're the Resistance." Pudge said as if it was obvious.
Spleenk laughs again, obviously not convinced, no one joins him this time. He stops, "You're serious?!"
Lard Nar smiled. "Not what you were expecting?" He guessed.
Spleen nodded. "I've heard stories, everyone has and to be honest, this is...depressing."
"Well, there isn't exactly a manual on how to stop the Irken race." Annabel retorted.
"Yeah, so unless you have any bright ideas, shut it!" Jinx hissed.
Spleenk's smile never faltered. "You may want to search the tech you sole for any tracers, Irken Tech is full of them." He advised.
Lard Nar smiled, of course he already knew this, but the Spleenk obviously knew a lot about the Irken's himself. And with most of their numbers being Civilians they needed a strong mind like his to even their odds. "We'll get on that." He told him. "But first how do you feel about sticking around?"
Spleenk looks confused. "You mean join your gang of crazies, go back towards the enemy when I just got out?" He shook his head. "No thanks."
"Great!" Jinx said. "Where can we drop you off?" He couldn't explain it, but this guy was making his skin crawl.
"You don't have to fight." Annabel assured him giving Jinx a puzzled look. What was wrong with him? "Got any skills."
Spleenk looks thoughtful. "I can cook." He revealed.
"I'll be the judge of that!" Jinx challenged.
"Then it's settled, you'll be the crew's chef." Lard Nar suggested.
"Well, I suppose I could." Spleenk looks thoughtful. "But only long enough for me to figure out my next move." He revealed.
"Fair enough." Lard Nar smiled. "For now, at least, welcome to the Resistance!" He offered a hand.
Spleenk shook it, his smile growing with every second all the while Jinx's suspicions only grew. Nothing good would come of this stranger, he could tell, trusting him was a mistake.
Spleenk is not as oblivious to his hostility as he pretends to be, oh yes, he knows what the Reptilian was thinking.
And truth was, he didn't know the half of it.
(Present Day...)
Three days...
The time seemed to have crawled by at a snail's pace for Annabel. Her son was hurtling closer and closer to Irk with every second and she could do nothing.
Luna was just as a wreck as she was, maybe even more so. Even though Annabel had assured her that she wasn't to blame for Dib's impulsive decisions, she still felt it. The guilt was like an illness that drove her to fits of anxiety and sleepless nights. Dib was like a brother to her, and Moon was devastated to learn he was gone. In her eyes Dib was her brother, she had even started calling him such.
Luna remembered her coming down the stairs for dinner that night and asking; "Where is brother?"
It was like she had been hit by a train, Luna had yet to tell Moon what Zim had really done for them. So, when her sister had learned that Dib was stuck in space with "The Monster" She became fearful and erupted in a fit of sobs. It took over an hour to calm her down, and though she didn't say it, Luna knew. The way Moon looked at her said it all: why did you let this happen?
No one treated her any differently, but she still felt like she was to blame. She was torturing herself with these thoughts. Even Gaz told her several times that there was nothing she could have done.
"If Dib wanted to get on that ship." Gaz had said. "Then you wouldn't have been able to stop him."
"Heck if you had, you'd probably be on that ship with him, right now." Peg agreed.
She knew they were right, but still the guilt dug into her like daggers.
Gir was still with them, in fact he hadn't left Lard Nar's side since he arrived at the Membrane household. And even though the Sir unit was supposed to be a prisoner, and an enemy agent the Vort had found himself relaxing around him. They all were, Gir's childish demeanor made it easy to forget that he was a threat. He sang happily with Moon to several popular songs of the Earth pop culture. Surprising Luna, who had no idea a Sir Unit would even store data that seemed so useless.
Then again, Zim had been pretending to be a normal teenager, and in this day and age pop culture defined a human being just as much as where they came from. Luna still remembered how much of a cultural shock Earth music had been for her. On her home world music was pretty much the same everywhere, but Earth...Each region had a form of music that was almost completely alien to one another. It fascinated her that one species could be so similar, but so different.
Finally, after 3 days of torture, the time to make a decision had come. Lard Nar wanted to make it earlier but decided everyone needed to be present. Most of the members of the Galactic Alliance, had left in search of the missing piece of the weapon. It was still nowhere to be found, and some of the alien refugees were already discussing just making a new one.
"We can't just forget about it." Richard argued. "What if the Irkens find it?" He whispered lower, glancing nervously at Gir as he spoke. "If it is strong enough to wipe out all of Irk, just think of what they could do with it."
"I can help." Gir said, appearing in front of him as if out of thin air.
They had moved to the warehouse district at the Swollen Eyeball HQ to conduct this meeting. Everyone from the Refugees to the human agents were there, even the AIs were present; a fact that didn't seem to bother Gir at all.
"You would help us find a weapon?" Jinx asked. "A weapon that we plan to use against YOUR MASTER?"
Gir shrugged. "Master doesn't want it." He said. "The Tallest want it."
"There's a difference?" Membrane asked.
Gir nodded. "I only do what my master tells me."
"And what did your master tell you to do?" Mrs. Bitter's asked.
"Keep an eye on the enemy." Gir said, as if he wasn't talking to said enemy. "And talk to horns."
Horns, they had figured out was Lard Nar, and the Vort was still never far without his new shadow.
"So, I'm just gonna ask." Jinx said. "Why is the enemy just hanging around like it's nothing? Shouldn't he be in a cell?"
"We did." Dark Booty said. "Locked him up myself, five times already." He explained. "The little guy keeps getting out somehow."
"And you are just fine with a Sir Unit running around?" Jinx asked Siri.
Siri and Titan look at the Sir Unit as if for the first time.
"Sir Unit is not Irken made." Siri said as if it was obvious.
"It's an Irken Sir Unit!" Mina, shouted. "How is it not Irken made?"
"Irken made means made in an Irken factory." Lard Nar explained. "Gir was made by Zim and obviously has no Irken Programing to speak of."
"So what? No programing doesn't mean he's not a threat." Pudge said the obvious.
Siri scans the Sir Unit, as if to make a point. "No threat detected."
Gir giggled and jumped onto one of Siri's legs. "I like you." He said. "I'm gonna call you. Legs."
Lard Nar cleared his throat, beginning the meeting: Gir jumps down from Siri and stands at attention. It's a bit unsettling to see the usually goofy robot so serious, but the Vort continues. "You all know why we are here." Lard Nar said. "Zim has given us an ultimatum, but either way we need to give up a name."
Why even give a choice of the matter?" Jinx asked. "Why not just tell his precious leaders who you are?"
"Master was supposed to kill Horns." Gir said a bit too cheerfully for someone talking about murder.
"So, he's trying to cover his own skin." Membrane shook his head. "I'm beginning to see why you have mixed feelings friend. He certainly knows how to play with ones emotions."
"Indeed, he does." Lard Nar agreed.
"Why give him a name at all?" Annabel asked. "He already knows about Trawl, if he really wants to save his own skin..."
"He wants it to be my decision." Lard Nar reasoned.
"It's like he's seeking your validation." Dark Booty said looking thoughtful. "Are you sure he's the enemy?" He dared to ask.
"You're joking right?" Richard asked.
"Just hear me out." Dark Booty reasoned. "He's been in this very facility, he helped us stop a fellow Irken Invader. His Sir Unit is possibly the only reason why Agent Disembodied-Head is still alive."
Membrane shifted uncomfortably, glancing at his new robotic arms. If Gir hadn't been there, if he hadn't flown him down to safety. He felt his wife's hand on his shoulder and felt the firm squeeze. She was thinking it too, it Gir had not been there he would be dead, and she would have been a widow. His children would be fatherless, he looked to Gaz, who had moved closer to him as Dark Booty spoke. He was right, they owed so much to Zim, but it didn't change the facts.
"It doesn't change what he's done." Jinx said what they were all thinking. "If what Lard Nar has told us is true. If what the computer brain has told Queen Luna is to be believed..."
"Computer brains do not lie." Mrs. Bitter's said.
Of course, Annabel had told them everything that was revealed to her and Luna about planet Rhapsodize. That Zim had been the one to save them the only one who didn't know was Moon. Luna just wasn't sure how she was supposed to tell her. Moon barely remembered that awful night, or the days that followed. Luna remembered telling stories to the young Moon about the hero who whisked them to safety.
She had painted him in such a good light, Moon often thanked the goddess for their mysterious protector. She would ask Selene to watch over him, wherever he might be and bring him back to them safely, someday soon.
Luna now wondered if Selene had answered those prayers, and if that was a good thing.
"Exactly." Jinx went on. "Every time he "helps" us, we pay for it later. Let's not forget what happened on the Resisty!"
Lard Nar flinched at those words. The Resisty was the old Vort Ship that used to house the Resistance before... "So, you figured it out?" He asked.
"I started to see the pattern." Jinx agreed. "After you told us how you met the worm, and then how he saved Queen Luna. Well, it wasn't hard to fill in the blanks."
"Which only proves my point." Dark Booty said. "Siri had Zim in her tentacles and she deemed him worthy." Everyone looked to Siri as he spoke. "Do you still feel the same?"
Siri did not answer right away, as if she was thinking it over. Finally, she spoke: "He had goodness in him. Yes, I do not regret my decision to let him live."
"A lot of good it has done us." Jinx spat. "He turned his back on us the moment that Tak was eliminated. He went running right back to his leaders."
"They will not be his leaders for much longer." Titan said, shocking them all.
"You think he will survive the choosing?" Lard Nar asked.
"He is stronger than he knows." Titan reveals. "Yes, Irken Zim is the true weapon."
"Have you lost it?" Jinx growled. "You have been hunting him down for weeks, now you are praising him!"
"We hunt at your request but kill we do not." Tuff revealed. "You do not command us. Daughter commands."
Siri stood tall at those words, as if being called Daughter brought her great joy, and in a way, perhaps it did.
"It matters not." Mrs. Bitters grabbed all of their attention. "Invader Zim's fate is now in his own hands. If he survives however, then all of our fates will belong to him."
"Then we are doomed." Jinx hissed. "You think him becoming Tallest will change anything?"
"If he is not broken, he will finally stand up for what he truly believes in." Siri answered.
"You aren't being very fair." Luna suddenly said, surprising Jinx.
"Fair?" He asked.
"You're asking him to betray his entire race, and everything he has ever known to be true." Luna yelled.
"Your Highness..." Mina began.
"No, all you've done since we've got here is look for that stupid weapon! All you want is revenge for what he's done to you! You don't care about anything else!"
"And what should I care about?" Jinx snapped.
"How about the ones that we're forcing into our war? How about the blameless children that you'll be wiping out with your precious weapon?"
"They didn't care about that when they blew up my home!" Jinx yelled.
"And would your people want you to kill children in their name!" Luna asked. "I'm not saying they shouldn't pay! But more genocide is not the answer!"
Deep down Jinx knew she was right; his people would not agree to the senseless slaughter of children. Even Irken children, it didn't matter if they were born cold and programed with no real personality. A child was still a child, and if any of them were born like Zim, with no Irken programing. Well then, they weren't mindless at all, they were people who couldn't stop the system they were in. Even if they tried, he knew they wouldn't get anywhere, still every time he saw an Irken his blood boiled. He wanted someone to pay for what happened to his people, he wanted Zim to pay for what he had done to them.
And everyone around him seemed to be wiping the slate clean, all in the hopes that Zim would do the right thing. Something He knew the Irken filth would never do in a thousand years, even when he did something good it backfired.
"There is hope." Siri said as if reading his mind. "This time is different."
"His loyalty to his leaders knows no rival." Mina argued.
"That is no longer true." Mrs. Bitters said. "There is another he holds in even higher regards." She looked to Lard Nar. "Someone he took a stab in the gut for, someone he defends even now."
"Who?" Annabel asked.
"Dib." Gaz answered.
"Zim...Zim took a blow for Dib." Membrane was floored.
Gaz nodded; Dib had asked her to keep it a secret. "It happened just before Mom got back." She revealed. "We didn't want to freak you out, and Dib was scared you wouldn't let us on anymore missions."
"Such a blow could have been fatal." Lard Nar revealed. "Had Tak meant to kill a harden Irken soldier instead of a human then..."
Annabel actually felt the tear slip down her face, Zim was many things to her. He was a liar, a monster, a thief, and also a protector. Yes, as strange as it was, she knew he would give his life for the weak, for he had done it before.
"Dib being with Zim now is fortunate I think." Lard Nar dared to admit. "Perhaps Dib himself even sensed it. They have a strong bond, something that we cannot even begin to understand..."
"Are you...saying his feeling for the boy...are actually real?" Jinx looked like he was going to be sick.
"As real as you and me." Lard Nar stated openly. He looked to Annabel as he said this, and she looked to her husband.
Annabel hadn't seen much of Dib's and Miz's relationship, unlike her husband. "Dibson?"
"I never doubt it." Membrane said. "That Miz loved him, but that was before..."
"Before you knew he was Irken." Richard shook his head. "You know I once thought you were incapable of loving my daughter."
"Daddy!" Annabel cried. She of course had told her dad about her husband while they were on Zoran together.
"Let me finish." Richard stated. "But I was wrong, turns out the workaholic did have room in his life for love, and even a family." He laughed at Membrane's confused face. He had no idea his father in-law had such reservations about him. "I was wrong." He repeated. "I like to believe that there is the possibility of good in everyone. And that if one truly wishes to, they can change; for the better."
Everyone looked to Jinx as he finished.
Jinx was beside himself, he wanted to forgive, but he still felt bitter.
Gir walked up to him, "Master never wanted to." He said. "He never wanted..." The robot doesn't finish, perhaps he does not wish to rob Zim of his chance to make it right. Or perhaps he knows Jinx will not accept the truth coming from him. He wants Zim to apologize not this tin can.
"Let's get back to the matter at hand." Mrs. Bitters advised. "Lard Nar, Trawl is your kin, we will leave this decision in your hands."
Lard Nar nodded; he knows what he must do. He looks to Gir. "I'm ready, call him."
Gir nods and his eyes project a screen onto the far side wall, there is static as he places the call.
(Back with Zim...)
He had been in sleep mode for the past 3 days...
It wasn't something he usually preferred to do, but thankfully sleep had been kind to him for once. Besides while he was stuck in hyper-speed there wasn't much else, he could do, except think of the enclosing Impending Doom! He shook his head, and turned off the H-drive, thus ending the jump. No doubt Gir would have an answer for him now, and sure enough the moment the ship stilled the Computer Brain spoke.
"Incoming Call from Gir Sir."
"Answer it." Zim said bluntly.
For a moment there is static and then...
"Master!" Gir jumps excitedly upon seeing him. "Did you miss me?"
"Yes Gir." Zim said only slightly annoyed, the robot's jumping caused the whole image to jump with him.
"Horns is ready!" Gir answered and then Lard Nar was there with...everyone.
Lard Nar could tell right away that his old friend was sick with worry, his skin was an unhealthy green. His demeanor was dark like death had already claimed him. He wanted to address it, to reach out, but Zim would not admit weakness in front of the others, so he presses forward. "I have thought about your proposal."
"And?" Zim's voice is a whisper, so low and yet so clear.
"I will announce myself as the leader of The Galactic Alliance." Lard Nar answered.
Zim doesn't even looked surprised, he nods. "Very well," He goes to hang up. What does it matter anyway? He was dead in six months' time, so why drag it out?
"Wait!" Annabel shouts. "How is Dib?" She asked. "Can I see him?"
"Dib?" Zim looks confused. "How should I know I left him with-" He looks to Luna, and everything changes. The calm, somewhat hopeless Zim vanishes and the one in his place leaves no doubt in their minds. "Luna where is Dib!"
No answer, Zim gets even angrier! "LUNA!"
"He's with you." Annabel finally spoke up. "And I want to speak to him." She could see it there, the worry. It was clear as day on his face, Dib being here was bad, and not in the way it should be. He almost looked terrified for him, and that made Annabel fearful once more.
"That makes two of us." Zim growled. "Computer find my little stowaway, won't you?"
"Understood..." The computer answered.
(Back with Dib...)
He had not expected 3 days of solitary, several times Dib had debated letting Zim know he was here, but always chickened out at the last second. He spent the three days exploring the cargo bay, he even managed to hack Zim's Voot Computer. He read several logs, but he still couldn't translate Irken that well. So, he went to Zim's Back up memory file, like Tak's ship Zim's memories were storied in his Voot as back up. He knew he shouldn't, but he couldn't help himself.
He watched the memories of him and Miz, he had to know if those feelings were real. He got more than he bargained for, seeing himself through Zim's eyes. Seeing the way that Zim saw him, it had him blushing so red it looked like someone had colored his skin with red marker. Still, knowing that Zim really loved him did not make him feel better like he hoped, it just made him feel like he did before.
Like their love wasn't enough. He wished he could be hopeful; despite everything he still loved the green lizard. This alien from another planet made him feel things that no human had ever done before. He wished he knew what the future held for them, if he could somehow see the end of this story...Would he like what he saw?
He just wanted to know for sure if it was even worth it. Zim had let so many relationships crash and burn; Lard Nar, Luna, and now it seemed Dib would join them.
Was it even worth trying to save?
Dib remembered the way Zim looked at him right before he left.
"I don't regret meeting you."
"Me either, I think I'd do it all over again."
Dib smiled as he remembered the way Zim had squeezed his hand, and then yelped as tentacles came out of no where and scooped him up. Dib screamed as the tentacles dragged him through the doors, he tried to open just days ago. He was carried all the way up to the cock pit and before a very angry Zim. "Hi...Zim." He managed to squeak out.
"Really?" Zim growled. "Are you mental?"
"Don't you hurt him!" Dib heard his mother's voice.
"Mom?" He looked around and saw her on Zim's computer. They had called him! "Mom its okay, he's not going to hurt me."
"What makes you so sure?" Zim challenged.
Dib smiled; he knew what Zim was doing; he was trying to look tough in front of the others. "I saw your back up files." He said.
"My what?" Zim asked.
"Sir the human hacked the Voot drives!" The Computer brain suddenly exclaimed as if it just found out.
"Yep, and boy did I see some juicy secrets." He said slyly.
Zim blushes slightly, thank Irk he was facing Dib and away from the computer screen. "I think you are making lightly of your current situation Dib worm!" He growled.
"You will not hurt my baby!" Annabel snapped. "You will bring him home so I can ground him until he dies!"
"Mom..." Dib began.
"As much as I would love to." Zim said, cutting him off. "I have been summoned."
"The choosing." Annabel said, surprising him. "We heard."
"The choosing?" Dib asked, still hanging. "What's that?"
Zim ignores him. "Then you know I cannot be late." He pointed out the obvious.
Annabel looks at her son with so much fear, that Dib begins to fully understand. Zim's dark mood, this Choosing business was very serious. His life could very well be in danger, the thought had never occurred to him. He was so worried about Zim, he forgot about himself.
"Promise me he'll be okay." Annabel pleaded.
"Regardless of how this ends for me." Zim said. "I promise."
Dib yelps as the tentacles release him and he lands on his feet.
"Speak to your family." Zim instructed. "Our next jump will take us the rest of the way. It will be over a year before you speak to them again...if you're lucky enough to survive."
Dib gulped at his words.
"I'm gonna go look at our supplies." Zim said, leaving them.
Dib watched him go then looked to his mother. "Mom...dad I..."
"I can't believe you did this." Annabel choked.
"You did it!" Dib argued.
"And you should have been angry at me too!" Annabel cried. "I just can't...I can't lose you."
Membrane took her in his arms. "You're so impulsive." He whispered.
"I know, I just had to see this through." Dib tried to explain, but how could he? How could he explain this connection with Zim when he didn't even understand it himself?
"You felt drawn to it." Mrs. Bitters said, surprising him. "Somehow who knew you had to be with him for this."
"Yeah..." He wasn't sure how, but he could see it in her eyes. She knew what he was feeling, could it be perhaps because she had felt it too?
"There is no word for it." She says. "Some call it instinct others call it more..." She looked like she was a thousand miles away. "I felt it once..." She confirmed his suspicions. "Don't listen to these sticklers." She gestured to the others. "This is something that only you can validate, you must decide if it's worth fighting for."
"Was it?" Dib dared to ask. "Worth fighting for, for you...I mean..." He wasn't expecting an answer.
Mrs. Bitters actually smiled; it was something he had never seen her do. "Yes, He was worth it...stubborn as he was. Refused to admit it for the longest time, trust me it was not easy getting affection out of that one." She chuckled. "I imagine his son will be no different..."
Dib's eyes widen did she just implied what he thought she was implying.
Everyone else was staring at her too.
Suddenly Mrs. Bitter's actions towards Zim took a different light, like how she never once doubted him. Like how she always seemed to be in his corner, even when they all found out who Miz really was. If Zim's father was her mate as she was implying, then that would make Zim like a son. Not really, Dib knew from researching Irken history, that Zim was part of the cloning generation of Irkens. He wasn't really born, he as a clone of his father, just like Dib was a clone of his own father.
But Zim's father was still her mate, which meant Zim was supposed to be her's and perhaps in her eyes he was.
"You knew..." Dib whispered.
"I had my... suspicions." she admitted. "I cannot tell you how to feel, I can only tell you that it is something the two of you must discover together." She looked to Dib's parents as she spoke this.
"I don't like it." Membrane admitted.
"Dad." Dib began.
"Let me finish." Membrane said. "I don't like you being so close to the enemy. To actually go to Irk, but I know Zim will keep his word. He always seems to when you are concerned."
Dib felt a smile slip on his face; it was like his dad was giving their feelings permission to exist. Sure, they didn't need his validation, but it felt nice to have it all the same.
"Doesn't matter." Gaz growled. "If he doesn't die out there, I'll kill Zim myself."
Dib laughed; it was forced. He knew his sister was serious.
"You have your disguise, yes?" Lard Nar asked.
Dib nodded.
"Good, Zim can easily say he picked you up on a desolate planet. Irken scientist are always getting marooned on planets." Lard Nar revealed.
"That's awful." Dib said.
"Yes, well only effective soldiers like Zim get special treatment." Lard Nar said. "Now we expect a full report Agent Moth-Man."
Dib saluted. "I won't let you down sir."
"See that you don't." Dark Booty snapped. "Your actions are a reflection of my teachings you know."
"Maybe that's why both your students went off world without permission." Mrs. Bitters lectured. "First Annabel and now her son."
Dib tried his best to hold in his laughter, it wasn't easy.
"Be safe Dib." Annabel said, her worried look made him grow serious once more.
"I'll be fine, promise." He vowed, and he knew it was the truth. Zim would not let anything bad happen to him.
Annabel nodded. "I know."
"Be careful out there." Membrane told him. "Oh, and remember you're grounded when you get home."
"Love you too dad." Dib joked.
"We do love you." Membrane said.
"Very much." Annabel agreed.
"We'll see you soon." Peg said.
"Don't die." Gaz said. "Or I'll make you pay!"
Dib knew this was as close to an: "I love you", as he was going to get from his sister.
"Don't let those Irkens get the better of you!" Richard told his grandson. "And be safe."
Dib nodded.
"We'll hold down the fort for you here." Peg assured him.
"And I'll let Moon know you're okay." Luna cut in. "She's very worried for you."
"Have you told her?" Dib asked.
Luna shook her head.
"You should." Dib said.
"I don't know how." Luna whispered.
"You will...when the time is right." Dib assured her. "You're a good queen Luna, and an even better sister."
Luna smiled. "Be safe, brother."
"Always." Dib said.
Gaz laughed. "As if."
Annabel gave her daughter a look. "Gazline."
"Oh, come on we all know how he is." Gaz said.
They did.
"Tell master I said bye-bye." Gir exclaimed.
"I will." Dib promised.
"Goodbye Dib." Everyone said in a jumbled mess.
"Goodbye." He choked on the words as the screen cut to black.
And there, alone in the silence; he cried.
-To Be Continued