Author's Notes: Next chapter is up! thank you all for reading and please review.
(Back with Dib)
Even though he was happy to be home, Dib couldn't help but feel a little nervous. Sure, their trip back to Earth had been shorten, but they still missed 6 months of time when they came back from the future. Half a year was a long time, of course everything looked fine at a glance, but Dib knew that looks can be deceiving.
"She's down there, somewhere..." Dib says knowingly as they looked down at Earth.
"Who?" Trawl asked.
"Tak..." Zim answered solemnly, usually he would say her name with disgust, but now...His future-self saw her as an ally. He wondered how they went from trying to kill each other to having each other's back.
"The defect?" Trawl asked. Of course, he knew about Tak, Zim doubted The Tallest would want others to know Irkens could be defective. But Trawl wasn't just anyone; being the prisoner that knew all of Irk's secrets, it wasn't surprising that even he would know.
"She's an ally." Dib said.
"Not yet she isn't." Zim reminded him.
"So... what now?" Trawl just had to ask that question.
Zim laughed, "Come Trawl, surely your kin has told you about our routine by now." He said as he began to enter Earth's atmosphere.
"Oh, you mean this is the part where we go our separate ways, and you pretend that you never betrayed Irk in the first place?" Trawl wasn't laughing, of course he knew what was going on, he wasn't sure why he bothered to ask. Zim always helped Lard Nar for his own benefit, and then he would go about his life like nothing happened.
"Zim?" Dib looks...hurt, but hopeful. He wasn't really going to do that this time...right? After the future they just saw, after all they had been through together these past few days...He wouldn't.
He would. Trawl shook his head; the human was obviously young and naive to think he was anything more than a tool to the Irken.
The ship lands in the woods a few miles from town and Zim leads them out, it's nighttime. If Dib had to guess he'd say about eight.
"Well...this is it." Zim says awkwardly. "Dib will take you to Lard Nar from here."
"You're not coming?" Dib asked.
"I...I can't Dib." Zim tries to find the right words to say.
Trawl rolls his eyes; he never did understand how this Irken scum got good people like his cousin and this boy to blindly trust him.
"It's okay to be scared." Dib whispered.
"It's not just..." Zim shook his head. "I was judged by the brains Dib." Zim said. "The Tallest said I was found past out before the computer brains." He explained. "Not one but plural...They evaluated me...they must all know now that I'm deprogramed and defective..."
"And they didn't kill you..." Dib realized what he was getting at.
"And I can't remember why..." Zim tries to remember. "I need..."
"I get it." Dib said, and he did, Zim needed to figure things out. Even if he never got his memory back, he needed to do some soul searching. He needed to figure out how the Zim today becomes the Zim of the future. He needed to know why he was allowed to live and decide what that means for not everyone, but himself. Zim needed to stop listening to what everyone else thought he should be and start listening to himself. "Where will you go?"
"There is a planet called Hobo 13." Zim answered honestly. "It's where people go to rediscover themselves, to become something more..." Their eyes met. "Will you take care of Gir for me?"
"Of course." Dib smiled. "And don't worry...we'll be okay."
Zim smiled. "I know you will."
Trawl's brow rose, why were they smiling? Something was off about these two, the human should be screaming at him. Calling Zim out for the coward that he is, doesn't he know the Irken is never coming back?
Dib steps forward and leans in, but stops short, as he remembers that their not alone. "I'll wait for you." He promises. "No matter how long it takes."
Zim bites his lip, and turns away, going back into the ship. Irk why was this so hard! He swears leaving Dib gets harder and harder every time.
And watching Zim leave, over and over again, it was getting hard for Dib too, to hard!
Dib's running after him before he realizes what he's doing, the hell with Zim's silly rules. Who cared that Trawl was right there!? Dib sure didn't, and he proved it by running up to the Irken and pulled him around to face him.
"DIB!" Zim's voice is cut off as Dib kisses him.
Trawl's eyes widen, he waits for the Irken to push the boy away. To call him filthy and inferior, but Zim's body slowly relaxes as he wraps his arms around him.
This was nothing like the kisses they shared before, Dib shivered as Zim's mouth moved with his. He felt that zing of electricity cover him from the top of his head to the tips of his toes.
'OH MY GOD!' He realized. 'Zim and I are making out!' Of course, he would be freaking out, Zim should be the one freaking! Wasn't he embarrassed? Trawl was right there! He pulls away just slightly gasping for air.
Zim laughs silently looking at him longingly. "The things you do to me." He whispers. "If I had any sense..." He doesn't finish not that he needs to.
"I love you." Dib whispers, even though he knows the Irken will never say it back. He tries not to let it get to him, after all he doesn't want to push Zim too fast. Sure, they end up together, but if Dib rushed this, he could ruin everything.
"I know." Zim smiles. "Me too."
Dib's heart soars, and he kisses Zim again, this time its briefer but just as meaningful.
"I'll see you soon, my Love Pig." Zim whispers as he pulls away.
"HEY!" Dib pouts as Zim walks away, "How come you can call me that, but I can't..." He stomps his foot. "Zim!"
Zim laughs, as the ship door closes, and even though said laughter makes Trawl shiver with fear, Dib sighs openly.
"See you soon, Minnie Moose..." He says as the ship takes off.
Trawl clears his throat, and Dib looks his way, he turns beat red as he remembers they had an audience this whole time.
"We...I... we were..." Dib shakes his head, suddenly feeling angry. Trawl was looking at him like he just kicked a puppy or something. "Whatever, you wouldn't understand anyway." He starts to stomp off.
"I'm sorry..." Trawl says. "I just didn't know Irkens could..."
Dib stopped. "What? Show affection?"
Trawl nodded, looking away awkwardly.
"They don't...not in public." Dib shook his head. "I shouldn't have...Zim is very conservative about his feelings." He tried to explain.
"It's a sign of weakness." Trawl understood completely. "Irkens do not like looking weak...He must think highly of you..."
Dib smiles lovingly. "Yeah, I guess he does."
"He hasn't said so?" Trawl asked as Dib placed his watch on the Vorts wrist. He wasn't trying to pry or insult their relationship.
No, Dib could see now that the Vort was just curious, and he guess he couldn't blame them. This Was probably the first time athe vort had ever seen an Irken's softer side. "We're not there yet." He answered truthfully. "We're still figuring it out, you can't rush these things."
"Is this a blending in device?" Trawl asked shifting the subject to the watch.
Dib nodded. "My own version of one anyways." He answered.
"You made this?" Trawl asked.
Dib nodded again. Thankfully, he had thought ahead and added a human disguise option to the watch before he return to the palace back on Irk. He turns the dial and Trawl's image changes to some random kid with dark blue hair. He was short, most Vorts were after all, and he had freckles on his face. Finally, he wore a green shirt with black skinny jeans. "That should help keep you under the radar on our way home." He assured him.
"Marvelous." Trawl said in awe as Dib started to lead the way. Of course, the Vort had notice the device when Dib revealed his true form to him back on Irk. But to see it up close now, he was finally able to really appreciate it's genius. "This one is far better than any model I've ever seen."
"I found some old blueprints on Tak's ship." Dib explained. "I made some modifications of course."
"You have an Irken ship!" Trawl seems to look at Dib in a new light. He had no idea just how equipped the boy was. He thought he was an amateur, but this child had the makings of a soldier.
"I found it when it crash landed." Dib explained as they reached the road, downtown looked like it always had. He laughed, he guess he kind of expected a lot to happen in six months, but everything looked the same. "Lard Nar helped me take it to our base, and I hacked into it. That's how I learned the Irken language and their traditions." He stops as he notices a flyer on the ground, he picks it up.
"Terror Grips The Streets: several local children have disappeared without a trace. A new curfew has been established, but with no leads; police are baffled by the alarming rate these abductions are taking place."
Dib gulped as he looked around; more flyers covered the buildings around him.
"Are your children safe?" They read. No wonder the streets were empty some random lunatic was plucking kids off the streets.
"Dib?" Trawl asked.
"We need to get home, now!" Dib exclaimed running towards the HQ. He said home, but somehow, he just knew that this is where everyone would be.
Tak smiled as she watched Dib race off towards the docks.
Keef steps out of the shadows to stand beside her. "Dib, he's finally home."
"Yes." Tak agreed. "Which means we can finally begin the next phase of our plan!"
Keef smiled. 'Soon Dib.' He promised. 'Soon we will be together and then we'll make Zim pay!'
Yes, it was only a matter of time.
(Back with Luna...)
Six months...
Six months since Dib had left and already so much had happened.
"Anything yet?" She asked.
"No..." Dark Booty sighed, he had been analyzing the data for hours. They had been researching the phenomenon of the missing children for months now. He remembered when it first started happening. It was shortly after they had found the final piece of the weapon, it was one or two children at first nothing too bizarre. In a big city like this children went missing all the time, but in the weeks and months to follow it became very clear that this was anything but normal.
"50 children..." Annabel was pacing behind him nervously. "50, and that's just the ones that have been reported. How many runaways do you think are actually missing right now? Homeless kids with no one to look in on them and see if they're okay!" She was a wreck and rightfully so. Many of Gaz's school mates had turned up missing. Peg's mother was so scared that she refused to let Peg leave the house without an adult.
Peg placed a hand on Gaz's, it was shaking slightly. Usually, a case of missing children would be handled by the police, but with no efference to point them in the right direction their hands were tied. Besides at the alarming rate they were disappearing the Swollen Eyeball knew that this was anything but normal. No, something very paranormal was going on in their city, nothing human could snatch up children and leave nothing behind. No fingerprints, no sign of a struggle, nothing!
Gaz held her girlfriend's hand tightly, she knew how terrifying this all was for her. Peg loved fighting beside Gaz and protecting the world from the unexplained. But every day it just got more and more dangerous. She couldn't help but wonder if one day Peg would leave the organization all together, Gaz wouldn't blame her. In fact, she was beginning to think including Peg was a mistake, if she got hurt, Gaz would never forgive herself.
Peg forces a smile, noticing her despair. "It's okay, we'll find them." She assured her.
Gaz nodded; she had been wrestling with these feelings since her dad got out of the hospital. She always knew this job could be dangerous, but she always thought it wouldn't happen to them. Not now when they just got their family back together.
"Luna...I'm scared." Moon said quietly. Usually, she would be at home in bed by now, but Annabel was to frighten to leave any of the kids home alone.
Luna wrapped her arms around her holding her tight.
"Awe little Bluey is sad." Gir frowned. "I do a dance." He dances around in circles and does a few flips.
Moon laughs. "Gir is funny." She praises.
Luna laughs too the little robot had become quick friends with her and Moon, in fact he never left their side. Moon was so fond of him that she even allowed Gir to share her room in the Membrane home. She made a bed and bought him all the rubber piggies and chocolate bubble gum shakes he wanted. They even watched the crazy monkey show on TV together. Yes, Gir was now her favorite person in the whole wide world. Luna was happy for her sister, she hadn't made many friends since their parents died, choosing to keep to herself for the most part.
Gir however, was bringing out a side of Moon that Luna hadn't seen since the night fate took everything, they loved away from them. Moon pulled away from her sister and hugged Gir, "Thanks." She said. "I feel much better now."
Gir smiles. "You're my best buddy! Little bluey."
Luna held in a laugh. Gir seemed to have little nicknames for everyone, the robot was so playful and carefree it was easy to forget that he was a dangerous Irken weapon.
Gir goes stiff, his eyes turn red. "An intruder approaches!" he reports.
Everyone goes still. The AIs were supposed to be patrolling the Docks if something got passed them it must be dangerous.
Professor Membrane steps in front of the girls protectively as the elevator comes to life.
Mrs. Bitters' brow rises as she too stands. "Strange." She says. "How does the intruder know how to use the elevator?"
They soon got their answer as it reaches their floor, and the doors open.
"MARY!" Gir's eyes go blue as he runs into Dib's arms.
Dib has just enough time to react, catching the robot. "Hey Gir." He smiles.
"Did you bring tacos?" The deranged SIR asked hopefully.
"No, but we can get some later." He promised.
"Dib!" Annabel runs over to him, throwing her arms around him.
Dib wasn't expecting to get tackled by his mother, he was also not expecting the whole family to join in.
"Oh, my boy is home!" Annabel cried.
"Big Brother!" Moon hugs him happily.
"Took you long enough." Gaz scowled as she and Peg joined in.
"Guys it was only six months." Dib pointed out, trying hard to breathe. "I'm actually here earlier than planned."
"That's no excuse also your mother says you're grounded." Professor Membrane tells his son.
"Oh, come on!" Dib argues. "Mom it was for the sake of all mankind! You should of saw us we were amazing!"
"We?" Peg asked.
"Yeah, I even led a prison break." Dib went on.
"A what?" Anabel exclaimed.
"Well, it was only one prisoner, but we still broke out." Dib said. It was then that everyone noticed Dib's companion.
He was no longer wearing his human disguise, everyone gasped at the Vort, he looked so much like his cousin it was almost unbelievable. In fact, the only obvious difference was that the new commers skin was a dark shade of blue.
"Trawl?" Lard Nar pushed through the crowd; his face full of awe.
Trawl smiled, "I'm afraid you may need a new informant." He joked.
"But..., how?" Lard Nar choked.
"Well, let's just say I may have been a tad wrong about your...Irken friend." Trawl admitted quietly.
"A tad?" Dib challenged giving him a sly look.
"Okay maybe a lot." Trawl admitted.
"Zim?" Lard Nar looks hopeful. "He did this, for...Is he here?"
Dib's face fell. "He's gone..."
Lard Nar nodded, looking hurt. "Of course..."
Trawl gives his kin a firm shoulder squeeze. "He'll be back, he promised." He looks to Dib when he says the last bit.
Dib blushes and looks around the room, his embarrassment fades as he notices the endless computer screens covered with data. He sees some include a list of kids, he even recognizes some of the names, other screens show articles on the missing, and even some of the flyers Dib noticed on the street. "It's bad, isn't it?" He asked.
"Very." Dark Booty answered. "Now that the weapon is complete the rebels have switched gears. Everyone is looking for any possible clues, but we have no idea what is doing this."
"Not what." Dib said as the pieces came together. "But who!"
"Dib what do you mean who?" Annabel asked.
Dib looks unsure.
"Agent Moth-man." Mrs. Bitters said.
"It's Tak." He said sure of himself now, yes this is exactly something the Irken female would do.
"But Zim killed her." Luna exclaimed.
"He never could find a body." Dib revealed, "And if her ship made it, her escape pod may have been able to survive reentry as well." He decided it was best not to tell them about the future. There was really no time now anyways, besides too many people knowing about it could threaten the time stream.
Mrs. Bitters nods. "she stole organs just to create a panic, this does sound like something that would fit her MO."
Dib's eyes narrowed, Tak maybe an ally in the future, but Zim was right. Right now, she was still the enemy. "We have to stop her!" He said moving to leave.
Gaz stood in his way. "Dib..." She warned.
"Come on Gaz we have to stop her!" Dib exclaimed.
"And we will." Peg said.
"Together." Gaz insisted. "Besides don't you think your family might want to enjoy the fact that you're home!"
Dib stops as he realized. "I'm sorry, of course your right..." He looks at his mom. "Mom I'm sorry."
"It's okay sweetie." She smiles hugging him once more. "It's just good to have you home."
Dib smiled and hugged her close, they were right, Tak could wait because right now this is where he needed to be. "It's good to be home." He admitted.
And it truly was.
-To Be Continued